The Invisibles
by idevourbooks
Summary: Lucy was your average archaeologist who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, she's dragged into a world unknown to man by a pink headed pyromaniac and is caught up in a battle between two ancient races. Magic, destiny, and mystery await her, all she has to do is stay.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note since I finally decided to edit/revise:**

**Well, I'm editing! YAY! But it's because I'm having a small problem with writer's block. AW! Anyways, this chapter is now edited/revised so now you can read happily. Enjoy!**

**Chapter One: **

**Dreams**

_Red._

_A deep, dark, horrific scarlet._

_It douses the ceiling._

_As well as the walls that appear to cave in on me._

_Everything is red._

_In the corner of my groggy mind I think I hear a deep voice-screaming my name… screaming for me to get up… telling me that everything was going to be okay through desperate sobs._

_I feel their warm, muscular pair of arms around me, cradling my head in their lap. Their large, rough hands were pressing down hard on my chest, but not hard enough to hurt me. I look up at the person, only making out a pair of worried, onyx eyes staring back. I feel myself get lost in the black pools, feeling like I was floating through space, with nothing tying me down to the real world. A sharp pain suddenly stabs through me and I feel my chest throb._

_I tear my gaze away from their mysterious, captivating eyes and peer down at myself to finally see what they were fussing over. Their hands were in the way, but I manage to gently push them off of my abundant chest with my little energy that was dwindling by the second. I feel a gasp escape me lips as I stare in fear. _

_My pale blue tank top was stained with scarlet for my chest had a deep wound blossoming, probably puncturing my dying heart. I touch it with shaky hands and feel the warm red liquid stick to my pale hands. I then avert my gaze to the person who was whispering my name, their tears falling onto my face like raindrops plopping on dying flowers. I still can't make out their face, but their eyes… I was captivated by their black orbs all over again._

_My ears begin to ring until I gradually can't hear even the rustle of my own blonde hair slowly being pushed away from my pale, tear stained face by warm, rough hands, but somehow I know the person was sobbing for me to stay conscious, their onyx eyes telling me everything I needed to know. _

_With the little energy I still have in me, I raise my arm - that at the moment was as heavy as lead - and reach for their warm, indiscernible face. I look at where I thought my hand was at, but found nothing there. My fingers were completely gone and I automatically know I was slowly disappearing. The person also notices and I can tell they begin to become more frantic. They begin to look around wildly, their black orbs huge with fear and desperation._

_I surprise even myself as I part my chapped, bleeding lips to say a simple phrase that had more meaning than anything else I could have said in that moment. _

"_It's okay."_

_Those two words held everything, my worries, my happiness, my memories, and my feelings towards the stranger in front of me. Love, familiarity, joy, worry, and most of all, my hope that we would meet again soon, even though I can't remember who this stranger was, who for some reason I felt so connected to. _

_I feel their arms tighten around me and I feel their gaze lock onto my eyes. My lifeless ones saunter for a bit, taking in the fact that I was dying and disappearing into thin air, before I begin to lose circulation in my legs._

_My eyes whip back to the black orbs-shiny due to the tears still welling up inside and they quickly look away. My body feels tingly and my arms have completely disappeared now. I will the stranger's eyes to lock with mine once more and when they do, I give them a small smile, trying to reassure them that it was okay, that they didn't have to cry for someone as insignificant as me in this big world. _

_Slowly, I can't feel any part of my body anymore and for some reason, I was okay with it. I was at peace, I was not here dying, but I was floating with this stranger, in their onyx eyes that stared back at me. My eyesight begins to fade, and I can't see those mysterious black orbs anymore, but somehow I know I was going to meet up with them again… somewhere._

**888**

I wake up with a start, practically making my little wooden raft flip over. I look around at the collage of greens and grays, reassuring myself it was just a dream while at the same time trying to remember what I was doing. I stare down at the brown, murky water centimeters away from my sweaty hands and recall drifting in the Amazons, bobbing down the Rio Nahamunda, which is probably as far away from civilization as possible. _Yup, that seems about right._

I shake my head lightly with a small smile playing on my lips and cautiously rummage through my brown leather satchel, carefully pulling out my blue, leather-bound journal, very conscious that any sudden movement can cause this "raft" ("log" seemed like a better word for it but the locals claimed it was a well-built raft) to flip over. I open it up to the first page and pulled out a black inked pen. Slowly, I begin to write:

**Name: Lucy Heartfilia**

**Age: 19**

**Year: 2014**

**This journal contains my thoughts, ideas, and well… my experiences as your average archaeologist.**

I smile at my usual bluntness; this was my third journal so far. My past two journals had a similar brief first page except that my age and the year was different. I had written about my experiences and different things I encounter on my expeditions as the youngest archaeologist out there right now. I also Scotch-taped in some things I would find like pretty flowers (that are probably decomposing by now) or leaves (again, probably decomposing-I'm not a professional Botanist, you know) and I'd draw the people I met along the way when I got bored, like this nice Hispanic guy named Pablo who helped me get a boat to Aruba. I plan on doing the same for this journal and maybe hand them down to my little sister who wants to be an archaeologist (as well as a doctor, and a painter, and a veterinarian, and a bike shop owner, and you get the point, she wants to be everything), even though she's only 12.

I snap out of my reverie when I hear a bird squawk. I sit up and see a big black bird glide right in front of me. Its feathers were preened to perfection and even shone a bit with the little sunlight escaping through the thick rain clouds. _Black…_ _why does the color remind me of something…?_ Scared black orbs peck at the corners of my mind and I remember my dream - those eyes are going to be bugging me for a while.

I frown, now that I think about it, it's not the first time I've had that realistic nightmare. I've actually been having that dream for a while now, and of course it has me on edge. I've learned from past experiences that my dreams usually mean something-and I'm praying that this one's just a dream.

I remember back eleven years ago - as if it were yesterday - when I had a dream the night before my parents died. In the dream, I was all alone with my baby sister swaddled in my arms. A black, satin sweet heart dress that came down to my mid-calf hung loosely on my frail, sobbing frame. My mother's black shawl was strung loosely on my shoulders and tears stained my raw, pink cheeks, my blonde halo of hair hung loosely down my back.

I was watching my parents get in their car after they had just been congratulated on their new dig in Nicaragua and I watched them drive away onto the highway where few cars were spotted. My stomach had knotted and I knew something bad was going to happen, but no matter how hard I tried, I could never get their attention. I remember feeling so frustrated, and soon enough they were the only ones on the highway.

A few minutes had passed and then I spotted an SUV swaying back and forth in the opposite lane and knew right away it was a drunk driver. Right when my parents' car was right in front of it, the car swerved onto their lane and collided with my parents' Chrysler. Glass flew everywhere and my mother died on impact - a jagged piece of glass jutting out of where her heart should've been - but my father wasn't dead yet.

He was severely injured, blood pouring from his thin lips, but he looked at my mother - who was covered in blood from her blonde haired head down to her shoeless feet, her eyes and mouth were wide open - and whispered her name with tears streaming down his face. He shakily placed his torn up hand on hers and smiled a sad, regretful smile… and then within seconds, my father's eyes went blank. And he was dead.

And then I was standing in front of a grave with freshly patted soil. I stared at the ground… knowing what the grave was going to say… regretful to look up. But I did anyways, my curiosity getting the best of me.

And I was right.

**_Jude and Layla Heartfilia_**

**_Beloved Mother and Father_**

The next day I had cried to my mother, and she tired her best to reassure me that they were okay and that she was still breathing. Then, my mother and father went to a banquet that night for them, celebrating their new find in Nicaragua. They were known as the best team of archaeologists of their time, and I always dreamt of being as good as them, even though I knew, and I still know now, that I could never compare.

After the party they were heading back home, my father driving… and just like in my dream they died. My mother and father were dead. And I had dreamt about it before it happened, details exactly the same, right down to me standing at their grave with my little sister, Wendy, in my arms.

That was the first time I dreamt of the future. I also dreamt about other events in my life - like flunking a final or falling out of a tree (don't ask) - but none were as big as that one. And now I can't help but fear that this dream isn't just a dream as well.

I sigh and lay back down on my "raft", my head resting on my satchel as I stare up at the clouds with tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. I smile sadly and decide to think of something else instead - something happy.

_I hope everything's okay back at home…_ I smile softly as I think about my little sister, probably at school right now with that horrible baby sitter picking her up soon. I groan - I knew I forgot to do something - I had promised Wendy that I'd fire that bitch and get my best friend, Kinana, to take care of her.

Kinana was the secretary of the place I worked for, and let me tell you, she was a miracle worker with kids. It was as if she was a magician or something, shutting up crying babies with one smile and getting disobedient three year olds calm with just a hand on the shoulder. I guess it probably had something to do with her personality or even the funny color of her hair, which was a dark violet color. I always ask her what dye she uses but she claims it's naturally purple. _What a liar… but I guess I can understand. I mean Wendy has blue hair…_

I shake my head and smile, missing them already. I pick up my journal once again and begin to write my first entry in the new book.

**June 22, 2014**

**I am writing this as I float down a river in the amazons… *sigh* It's really boring. I guess I just miss home (especially my bed, the "raft" I'm on is not very comfortable!), but I know I'm going to find something here… plus, once you're as far away from civilization as possible, there's no going back! Right now, I just hope that I'm not going to run into a lot of trouble.**

I smile and decide to leave it at that for now. I don't like to put in my exact location so those who read this can't go and get credit for what I did - I'm selfish, I know, but there are a lot of assholes out there, kids! Huge ass hats that'll join your team and follow you until you lead them to the site you discovered and then _throw_ you in the Atlantic Ocean to die! LIKE COME ON, PEOPLE! WHERE IS YOUR HUMANITY GOD DAMN IT!

Fuming, I count to ten in my head and try to forget the time I had to take some newbies out on an expedition (pretty sure you can infer what happened after that).

The sound of rushing water fills my ears and I look up from my journal to see something every person on a "raft" fears - a waterfall; a beautiful, loud waterfall that probably soared down into a rocky lake below.

My eyes widen and I stuff my things back inside my satchel before slinging it onto my shoulder. Quickly I stand up causing the "raft" to sway side to side. As I near closer to the edge of the waterfall I can see the height of the drop - at least 60 feet. I try to think of a plan, but all I can come up with is my mind screaming, _c__rap, crap, crap!_

A growl catches my attention and I turn around to see two yellow eyes staring up at me and a long, dark green, scaly body attached.

Under my breath I say, "Perfect… just freaking perfect! Get eaten by a crocodile or fall to your death!"

I suck in my breath as the roaring of the falls nears. I sigh and stare into the hungry, yellow eyes before me, daring me to stay on the raft a little longer and push my luck even further. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, my back to the waterfall. With all my might I jump as high and far as I can away from the raft and the crocodile, and plunge head first into the lake at the bottom of the falls.

A second passes before the water breaks beneath me and it feels like I just rammed into a wall. I feel paralyzed for a moment before forcing my aching body to move. The dirty, warm water pours into my mouth and my lungs choke. I scramble to resurface, feeling like I've been under for minutes not seconds, and gasp for air as I break the calm surface. I bob up and down like a buoy as I'm gradually pushed towards a branch. I clench onto it and drag myself out of the murky water and onto dry ground.

_Great. Awesome. Why. The. Fuck. Do. These. Things. Always. Happen. To. Me? _

I heave up all the water in my lungs and cough uncontrollably. My head pounds as I reach for my bag still slung on my shoulder, my muscles on fire. My blonde hair is sopping wet and sticks to my pale face. Shakily, I pull my locks back into a ponytail and carefully get onto my feet. My head begins to spin, but I ignore it and look down at my soaked jean shorts and yellow tank top that stuck to my stomach with my plaid three quarter sleeve shirt nowhere to be found. I had lost one of my black converses during the fall so I just pluck the other one off and chuck it into the river cussing. I clench my jaw and stare at my reflection in the water. _I look like a mess._

I frown at my messy state; _at least no one's going to see me_. I had bruises on my thighs and a gash on my upper right arm from the rocks in the lake. Frowning, I tear a piece of the bottom of my shirt off and wrap it around the cut on my arm, tying it up with a tight knot. _And I like this tank top… but I do like my arm more…_

With a sigh, I pull out my map of the amazons that was stashed away safely in my bag. Right now I was at the end of the river I was on before that "pleasant surprise" came up, Rio Nahamunda. Actually, scratch that, I wasn't _at_ the end of it, but I was still as far away from civilization as possible. The only good part was that I was only 5 miles away from where I want to be, so I begin to trek off into the crowded rainforest towards that place, which was an abandoned village. Natives' of Calcun, the place that gave me the "raft", called it _Pueblo de Mascara,_ or _Village of Masks. _

My boss, Ms. Porlyusica, assigned me this job saying she had no idea what was there, but she knew it was going to be something big and she wanted me to go investigate. I didn't object, I liked my job and I knew my boss liked me better than the other male archaeologists at Universal Archaeology (I know right?There's _only one_ female archaeologist out of a hundred archaeologists. What are we in, the eighteenth century or something?), so I took it without hesitation. Now I was sort of questioning why on earth I said yes - I mean, I could possibly die out here…

Barefoot, I walk into the jungle with my pocket knife handy just in case I run into anything. The birds squawk, cicadas scream, and I hear a growl every few minutes.

Sarcastically I whisper, "This is going to be fun."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: (This has been edited/revised since I have massive writer's block right now XD)**

**Hey guys! I hope you all enjoy this story and I don't know about you, but I am very excited for this! Hope it lives up to your expectations!**

**Chapter Two:**

**Midnight Duel**

Everything looks the same. _Everything. _

Every which way I turn all I see is green. Green, brown, gray, creepy monkeys - _wait, creepy monkeys? - _annoying birds, and not far off in the distance I think I hear something stalking it's lunch - and I have a gut feeling it's me.

I groan - I am _so _screwed. I'm hungry, tired, blistered, lost, and to top it all off, I'm at least 15 miles away from any kind of civilization. _Why did I do this? _I groan and almost punch a tree until I notice the monkey eyeing me curiously perched on its branch. It's not that I'm afraid of monkeys or anything, but they're creepy - creepy as in _really_ weird and just, well, creepy.

I never really liked monkeys anyways. My mom used to tell me how when I was little we used to go to the zoo and whenever we saw one of the furry mammals I would scream my head off and ball my eyes out. I would scoff at her and she would admit her story was a bit exaggerated, but it showed how I never really fell in love with the things like every other four year old.

_If only she could see me now… in a jungle, full of monkeys and creepy crawlies._ I stop for a moment, allowing myself to get lost in the memories of my mother and her warm smile. She was a kind woman, my mother. She was never the one to scream at me or neglect me - she always managed to have just enough time for me and my antics. She was a busy woman, sure, but it was as if she believed I was more important than anything else in the world.

My father, on the other hand, wasn't quite as "angelic". Before I can dwell in the horrid memories of Jude Heartfilia, a monkey scampers over my foot and I have to bite my tongue as to not scream.

I purse my lips together and close my eyes. I breathe in and out slowly,_ Lucy Heartfilia, you are a nineteen year old professional archaeologist, probably the youngest one there is. You've been through way more desperate situations so pull yourself together! Sure there might be monkeys… and you may be lost… and have a slim chance of dying… but you can do this! So… go get 'em tiger! Oh shit, watch out for tigers too._

My face scrunches up at my last thought before a little grin appears on my face and I open my eyes with a new found determination. I was not going to let this mission drive me insane.

I pull out my map again as well as the brass compass my dad gave me and calculate where I was. I was about 4 miles away from the waterfall and a little over 3 miles away from the village._ I've been traveling in the wrong direction, fuck!_ I look at the brass compass clutched in my hands and back at the map before adjusting my route. Now I was heading north, deeper into the Amazons where _Pueblo de_ _Mascara_ should be around. I should've taken this out earlier, maybe _then _I would've been almost at my destination.

I begin to trek off on my new route and try to be as quiet as I can, taking back out my pocket knife. Going around trees and shimmying around leaves bigger than me, I pick up my pace to a slow run so that I can get there faster but at the same time be stealthy enough for my liking.

After an hour or two of running, I stop with blistered and bloodied feet and scramble up a nearby boulder the size of a small house - thinking nothing would come all the way up here just to eat me. As I get further up, I notice it turned out to be a cliff on the other side of the "boulder of refuge" - which if I were to accidentally fall of, I would surely _die._ I ignore that factor though, knowing I could die from just being _in_ the Amazons, and sit at the top.

The top was flat and there was a light, crisp breeze which helped cool off my sweaty body. I could see the sun's few rays begin to fade away into night from here and I sigh, knowing that if the moon's coming out, so will the predators which is a big red flag for me. I pull out my water bottle and down it in two gulps, my dry throat still not satisfied, but I ignore my body's complaining as I tend to my poor, bare feet. After I check out my feet, I examine the cut on my arm as well as my other injuries from the waterfall and am not very happy with their progress.

My cut was red and puffy, signifying that it just _might_ be infected (I didn't take Nursing 101 okay, so I really have no idea what this means) and my bruises have turned from red marks to dark purple bruises - some the size of baseballs - on my thighs and upper arms. I puff out a breath of air, trying to think what I should do, my cut my top priority at the moment.

I know I can't really do much - I mean, it's not like I can call 911 out here - so I decide I should rely on sleep as my cure. _Yeah, sleep makes everything better. _I gingerly curl up into a ball on the damp rock and let the grasps of sleep pull me into the deep depths of unconsciousness, forgetting about the nightmare that comes with my slumber.

**888**

_I look at where I thought my hand was to see nothing there. I was beginning to disappear from existence - _CRASH!

"MISSED ME, YA STUPID FUCK!"

My eyes fly open and I sit up right, my eyes searching wildly for any signs of danger. After not seeing anything life-threatening,I look up at the sky, expecting to see the sun - it couldn't have been night with this much light - but instead I am surprisingly met with the moon surrounded by an ink black sky.

I frown, _if it's not morning, then where is this light_ _coming from?_ I hear what sounds like a tree crashing to the ground and I quickly maneuver myself onto my stomach to ensure my safety. Slowly, I shimmy myself towards where I thought the noise came from.

I end up at the edge of the cliff and I peek over the edge to the bottom where I see a blazing fire giving off an abnormal amount of light. I gape at the amount of damage that was being caused as trees were catching fire and toppling to the ground everywhere - it was _insane._ I soon catch a glimpse of lightning and press my body closer to the rock in fear of getting electrocuted. I take a closer look at the lightning bolts and realize that they were _black_, and they weren't even coming from the _sky._

I furrow my eyebrows, was I dreaming or something? This can't be possible - it must be a dream unless someone decided to take pranking to a whole new level. _"Hey Lucy, go to the Amazons so I can scare the shit out of you in the jungle with fire and black lightning! It'll be an awesome prank!"_

Yup, I can definitely imagine someone doing this to me. Another flash of lightning pulls me out of my thoughts and now I _really_ have the need to rub my eyes a million times to make sure I wasn't imagining this. Emerging from the trees was a burly man with turquoise, spiky hair who had a murderous look in his eyes. He was shirtless and had a bad burn on his arm and he was somewhat limping with black lightning emitting from him. _Wait a second, if that's… then… wait… WHAT THE FU-_

"DRAGNEEL!" the man bellows. I cower back in fear, but it was like a car crash - what was happening before me was insane and dangerous, yes, yet it was too interesting, too mind blowing for me to look away.

"SALAMANDER!" the man tries again, seeming to get more and more agitated by the second. _Boy do I feel bad for whoever's in his wrath path._

"COME OUT, COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE, YA LIL' SHIT!"

I inch closer and closer to the edge so that my head is dangling over the cliff. I furrow my eyebrows and scan the area, searching for this mystery person as well, except for different purposes than body builder over here, of course. I want to ask questions like a _normal_ person, _not_ kill them like lightning-psycho.

A crash comes from somewhere nearby and both me and body builder stare off in that direction, searching for something, _anything_… and just when I thought there was absolutely nothing there, a column of red flames hits body builder dead center in the chest. I gasp as more and more flames emerge from the jungle hitting lightning-psycho dead on, taking him off of his feet with third degree burns.

My eyes widen as the flames suddenly stop coming and body builder is panting hard on the ground. From the jungle emerges a figure who at first I have to strain my eyes to see, but as they come into the light created by the glorious flames, I can see them perfectly.

It was a young man, about my age more or less. He wore a black vest that showed off his well-toned chest as well as white, puffy pants and he looked as if there was barely a scratch on him. He was well built, but not as burly as body builder who was currently trying to sit up at the moment. His jaw was set and his spiky hair was for some reason _pink_ of all colors_,_ but that's not what really caught my attention - _his eyes_ were what made me do a double take. His eyes were two hot coals that just emerged from a fire, a deep, dark onyx that caused me to get lost in them. And they were so familiar… _but where…?_

I suck in my breath and my eyes practically bulge out of my head, I knew exactly who this was. There was only one person who could have eyes like that, and that person was standing just below me. _So this means my dream was r-_

The crackle of lightning sounds from above me and I silently squeak in surprise. I mentally slap my forehead for doing that_ aloud_ when there were _people_ who were obviously _dangerous_ and had _no idea_ that I was there and if they found out-"FOUND YA! HAHA! I NEVER KNEW YOU HAD A GIRL, SALAMANDER!"

My eyes widen as I feel myself slowly leaving the ground. _What the…?_ I begin to frantically claw at the cliff as if to keep myself on the rock, fighting the unknown force hard enough to draw blood, but eventually my struggling just causes the force to become stronger and a shock passes through me to weaken my grip on the cliff. The force then plucks me off with more strength than before and I wince from the pain. Soon enough I just close my eyes and pray for my dear life.

"WATCHA GONNA DO NOW SALA-AHHHHH!"

Suddenly I feel the grip on me slacken and I feel myself plummet to the ground below. I curse gravity and clench my jaw, awaiting the solid ground that would be the end of me, but when I feel warm arms around me instead of the bone-breaking ground, I crack open one of my eyes to see what saved me from dying.

Concerned, onyx eyes meet my brown ones and I feel my heart skip a beat. _He's even handsomer up close. _Pinky had me wrapped up in his arms princess style and I open both of my eyes wide, my confusion clearly written all over my face as to why he would do that - as to why he would save me, someone he didn't even know.

He smirks at me before looking towards body builder then back at me. He covers my eyes for about two seconds and when he uncovers them, he's carrying me away from the fire-filled mess-of-a-jungle and before we can go any further I catch a glance over his shoulder to where lightning-psycho was, but in his place only ashes remained.

**Author's Note: **

**Okay! There it is! Hope it isn't too bad! *laughs* Anyways... please review! Constructional criticism is welcome (just nothing too mean)! Oh! By the way... check out my other story Waiting Here! I hope you all enjoy what I have to offer!**

**-idevourbooks**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: This has also been revised! PRAISE THE LORD!**

**Phew! I am TIRED! I've been working on this chapter for about nine hours, oh my God! Sheesh! Whatever though, I like this chapter. It has fluff in it ; ) AND I've finally figured out how to do an effective part separator! Yay! Now it won't be as confusing! **

**Hope you guys enjoy,**

**-idevourbooks**

**Chapter Three:**

**A Pink-Headed, Fire-Holding Boy**

"_It's okay."_

_Those two words held everything, my worries, my happiness, my memories, and my feelings towards the stranger in front of me. Love, familiarity, joy, worry, and most of all, my hope that we would meet again soon, even though I can't remember who this stranger was, who for some reason I felt so connected to-_

_**CRASH! **_

I shoot straight up - practically out of the bed I was currently in - and look all around me in search of the crashing's source, but instead I find myself in an unfamiliar room.

The four walls of the space were a beige color - like the sand that would make contact with the waves, dark yet tolerable. The only light sources in the room were a candle running on its last bit of candle stick and the pale moonlight coming from a window embedded into the wall next to me, so it was relatively dark. I look down at the tangled mess of sheets at my feet and frown. _Even_ _with a bed I still get that horrid dream, but wait a second… where am I?!_

My eyes widen as the realization that I had no clue as to where I was kicked in and I quickly untangle my feet from the knotted sheets, kicking them to the bottom of the bed. It's then that I take notice to the white bandages that covered my feet. I inspect the bandages - remembering the horrible blisters and cuts on my poor soles - before I search the rest of my body for more of the gauze. I find some secured tightly on my thighs as well as on the infected gash on my upper right arm.

Whoever did this didn't stop at tending my wounds, but they also gave me a whole new outfit. My dirty yellow tank top and jean shorts were traded in for a loose, forest green dress embedded with swirling gold designs that covered the entire dress from the strapless top to the flowing bottom that came up to my mid-thigh, slightly showing some of the stark white bandages.

My hair was still up in its sloppy bun which I undo with pleasure as my dirty, golden locks tumble onto my shoulders. Remembering the task at hand, I then scan the dark space in search of a door and find one on the opposite side of the room. I bite my lip and slide my body towards the edge of the bed. I place my feet on the floor that was surprising warm… _and soft… and moving…?!_

Before I can pull my feet back up onto the bed, a hand grabs my ankle and I squeak in surprise as I am tugged onto the floor, falling face first onto the hard wood. _If this is the floor,_ _then what was that-_

I am torn out of my thoughts when I am suddenly flipped over onto my back. Feeling someone beginning to straddle me, I start to thrash underneath them, punching and kicking whatever I can get to in the darkness. I hear the person cuss and I continue to throw punches in the dark, making contact with a muscular chest a couple times.

Large, warm hands wrap around my wrists tightly and put them on the floor next to either side of my head with ease. I continue to kick though, and eventually my knee makes contact with something soft that causes the person above me to groan. _Jack pot - so I am being attacked by a man._

I get my knee ready for one more hit, but before I can even do anything, my legs are trapped underneath someone else's. I attempt to get free, but soon enough I know it's no use. They were just too strong, and eventually I just stop and close my eyes, wondering what this person could ever want from me.

"What do you want?" I croak out. I hear something that sounds like a small laugh come from the person above me and I feel anxiety begin to bubble up inside of me.

I feel his hot breath on my face and practically jump out of my skin, knowing his face was probably mere centimeters away from mine. "An apology."

I crack an eye open and look incredulously to where I thought the guy's face would be, "An apology? For what?" I question.

"For stepping on me," he answers bluntly.

"Oh! So that's what that was… um, sorry," I mumble out, feeling my cheeks beginning to get hot.

"C'mon, say it like you mean it, robot," I can feel his grin from here.

Rolling my eyes, I sarcastically apologize, "I am _so _sorry I stepped on you. It's just, I have _no_ idea where I am, so when I saw the door I thought to myself, 'hmm, let's get the fuck out of here.'"

He chuckles from above me and I allow a small smirk to slide onto my face. A minute passes and he's still on top of me, "So… you going to get off of me anytime soon?"

I feel him shrug as he maneuvers himself off of me and grabs my hand - gently this time - and hauls me to my feet.

"I'm Lucy, by the way," I say when my hand's still in his.

I feel him shake my hand as he answers, "Natsu."

I pull my hand out of his and cross my arms over my chest. "So… _Natsu_…" I test out his name before I ask, "Where am I exactly?"

"You're in my bedroom right now," he answers as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I frown and nod my head, "So, we're not in the Amazons anymore, are we?"

"No, we're still in the Amazons," he says smugly, "I actually live here with the rest of my village."

My eyes widen, "Wow, wasn't expecting that answer."

He snorts, "Well, when you first saw me you _were _miles deep into the Amazons."

I furrow my eyebrows, "Wait a second-"

He chuckles at me and before I know it, a flame ignites out of nowhere and I can see him perfectly. It was the guy from the cliff, same cotton candy spikes and muscular, tan body with his scaly white scarf wrapped around his neck - the only thing that was different was that this time he was shirtless. He also had a red tattoo on his right arm now that I'm guessing I couldn't see before from where I was on the cliff. His black eyes bore into mine and I got lost in the onyx pools before remembering my dream.

I reluctantly tear my eyes away from his and instead I look at the bright flames that were a blaze in his hand. _Wait a second, how can he hold the fire…?_

My eyes become saucers as I slowly back away from him, "H-how are y-you d-d-doing that?" I stutter out.

Natsu furrows his pink eyebrows at me before looking to where my eyes were locked on and shrugs, "What about it?"

"Y-YOU'RE HOLDING F-FIRE!" I practically scream at him.

His eyes widen as if finally understanding why I was flipping my shit, and he holds his hands out to me as if to calm me down, but instead a ball of fire is hurled at my head. He yells, "OH SHIT!" while moving to catch the flame that I scream at and duck underneath just in time for the fire to only simmer off a part of my hair.

When I open my eyes I didn't know I had closed, he's crouched over me, onyx eyes wide as he holds the flames in one of his hands.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

I nod my head - still tense from what had just happened - and he gets off of me, helping me stand up before saying he had to go somewhere and that I should get some rest. I can only nod as he races out the door and I am left all alone in the dark.

**888**

When I wake up again, the moon is replaced by the morning sun and I feel warm, as in _unrealistically_ warm, but that thought is pushed aside as I realize I didn't have the nightmare this time - actually, I didn't even dream at all, I just slept. _I guess that's a good sign…?_

I internally roll my eyes at myself and stare out the window from the pillow my head laid on, gazing at the tropical early-birds flying through the sky.

Toucans, Parrots, and Macaws flew in all different directions, squawking to each other like little old ladies. The orange sun made their colorful feathers look disoriented, their feathers gleaming with an orange tint to them along with their exotic colors of the rainbow.

They were beautiful compared to the gray pigeons (I guess anything is prettier than that bird) that inhabited Manhattan. At the thought of Manhattan I begin to feel nostalgic, yearning to see my little sister as well as my few friends who I haven't even been able to talk to for the past couple of days.

I remember when my little sister, Wendy, first saw me and I her. She was so small - even for an infant - and she seemed so tired from the long plane ride to the Big Apple. Only a small blue tuft of hair was present on her head, yet her big brown eyes seemed curious as to what awaited her in this new country.

Little Wendy was adopted by my family when she was still in the womb (or at least that's what my parents told me), so when she was born, right away my parents booked the next flight to Rio De Janeiro to pick up the little bundle. We were the perfect, happy family you'd only see in commercials for the three months that followed her birth, but then the accident happened and then it was just me and her, going from foster home to foster home, having only each other as company.

Side by side we had a rough childhood - hers still ongoing as a twelve year old - and we made it through everything together. Bullies, foster parents, social workers - we helped each other plow through our obstacles. And we grew up together, each other as our only family left.

Once I turned eighteen, about two years ago, I left the foster care system for good. With the money I was saving up from working for Ms. Porlyusica as her top archaeologist, I "adopted" Wendy, too, not even thinking of how she could have turned out if I were to leave her in the foster care system.

Now it was just me and her in this big world, and along with the help of our friends, we've been able to make it. _We did it,_ I think to myself, a small smile creeping onto my lips.

I snuggle into the source of the warmth I first noticed when I woke up and allow myself to relax a bit. Yes, this was the Amazons so it was relatively warm anyways, but this warmth was different. It was soothing… and soft… and smooth… _Wait a second, how can warmth be_ _soft and smooth?_

I furrow my eyebrows and look down at my waist to see a well-toned arm with a red tattoo draped across me. I feel my cheeks begin to get hot as I turn my head a bit and see spiky pink hair and the sleep-relaxed face of the one and only, Natsu. I feel as if my face has burst into flames and I have to fight back the shriek inside me. _I just met him and he's already sleeping_ _in the same bed as me?!_

I quickly gather up my thoughts and I try to shimmy out of his firm grip on me. I almost make it off of the bed until he starts to notice his oversized teddy bear was gone. His face contorts into a look of confusion (which_ so_ does _not _make him look cute whatsoever…) and he begins to feel around the bed for me. I press myself up against the wall to face him and I pray he doesn't get me.

Of course, my prayers are never heard and his hand comes in contact with the part of my dress around my stomach. I press myself up against the wall even more as his hand reaches out for me once again, and right when he's about to touch me I suck in my stomach as best as I can so he just gets a handful of air. He stops for a couple of seconds and I let out a quiet sigh - that is, until he starts to shimmy towards me. _How persistent can this guy be? And he's _sleeping_!_

Before I can do anything, Natsu gets within arm's reach of me and places his arm around my waist, dragging me towards him. I am eventually trapped as his arm grips my waist tight and his legs cage mine. My head rests on his other arm and I have both of my arms tucked into me.

Resting his head on top of my own, I can't help but feel as if we fit perfectly together - _wait, no. Don't think like that Lucy! Remember, you just met this guy!_

I bite my lip and reluctantly poke Natsu's cheek to wake him up, "Oi, Natsu, wake up," I whisper up at him, hoping to get the pink headed idiot up. Instead, he just tugs me closer to him. _Wow, he's really hot - wait, let me rephrase that, he's really warm as in fever hot… yeah fever hot... no! Bad Lucy! Stop thinking he's hot, dammit!_

I poke him again, "Natsu," I whine, "wake up." Nada, _nothing_, not even a nose twitch to signal he's even alive.

I poke him harder, "Natsu," I whisper a little bit louder, "Wake UP." Still no reaction from the sleeping man. _I guess I have to go to extremes…_

I take a huge breath, "NATSU!" I scream.

His eyes fly open to reveal his annoyed black orbs, "WHAT?!"

I sigh, "Finally…" he stares at me intently and I gesture to his body wrapped up around mine, "can you let go of me now?"

Natsu looks down at our pretzel like bodies and his mouth turns into a small 'o' before he looks back up at my eyes. He smirks, "What do you find this uncomfortable?"

I raise my eyebrows at him, "Well, I did just meet you yesterday, so yes."

"Oh, okay then," he says.

I nod my head at him and bite my lip, "Are you going to let go-?"

"Nope," he answers bluntly.

I puff out my cheeks, "Please?" I ask.

He shakes his head at me, "Fine, pervert, " I say before forcing myself out of his grip by first shimmying out my legs and then using them to push him away from me. I accidently push him too far so that he falls off of the side of the bed onto the floor below, cussing. _Why didn't I use this tactic before?_

I gingerly step over him and stretch out my arms, watching him as he picks himself off of the floor and dusting himself off, rewrapping his scarf around his neck.

"What was that for?" he asks me.

I shrug, "You wouldn't let go. Maybe next time you shouldn't sleep in the same bed as me, _someone you've just met_."

He rolls his eyes at me, grumbling, "When I got back here I was tired, ok? Also, I wasn't about to sleep on the _floor_ when there's a _bed_ right there."

"Oh! Right, about that, where did you go last night? And are you ever going to give me an answer to how you can hold_ fire_ in your hands? " I question him.

He scratches the back of his neck, "Right, about that-"

"And what about that guy from yesterday… who was he?" I cut in.

He laughs nervously, "Hehe, what are you - a reporter?"

"I don't know, I could be since _you've just met me and you have no idea who I am_," I annunciate the last part of my sentence to make sure my point was getting across.

He moans, "I get it already, sheesh! Your point has reached its destination!"

"Good, that's what I was aiming for."

He rolls his eyes at me, "Jeez, you're a handful-"

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"-anyways, there's someone who wants to meet you. And trust me - they'll answer any questions you have, just… bear with me, ok?" he says partially amused with my reaction.

I frown at him, "Alright."

"So um… let's go." He grabs my hand and drags me towards the door of his bedroom and leads me into a small hallway. Making a left to a set of stairs, we go down and into a small kitchen with a living area right next to it, he drags me to another door I can only guess is the front door, and opens it wide, dragging me out into the morning's orange light.

"Wow…" the village was amazing, from the creek that traveled through the center of the town with a bridge connecting the two sides, to the dozens of houses housing the still sound asleep villagers, with camouflaged roof tops and unusual colored front doors, ranging from blue to pink - Natsu's was red.

Natsu continues to drag me through the dirt roads of the village, pointing out some of his friends' houses - for example, his friend Erza was the one with the blue front door and his other friend Gray's house had a navy front door - as well as some of his favorite places - like _Al &amp; Bisca's Gun Shop _(where he made it clear that the only reason he liked it was because of the owners, not because he liked guns)_._

We then came to a stop at a large, stone building that was big enough to be a small castle with the words _Fairy Tail_ on a big sign in the front. "_This_," Natsu said to me, looking at the two wooden front doors leading into the mini castle, "is my favorite places out of all the other places I've shown you. This was the first building in our village and is named after it. This is _Fairy Tail_."

**Author's Note:**

**How was it? Good? Bad? You decide! Please review - I love to see your reactions! They really make my day guys!**

**Peace,**

**-idevourbooks**

**P.S. Check out my other story _Waiting Here_! I am positive you won't regret it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: This has been edited! WHOOP WHOOP! PARTY!**

**I am sooo sorry for the late update! Things have been a little hectic at home, so I apologize for a late (possibly horrible) chapter. But... I hope you guys enjoy it anyways (even though I feel like it's a filler chapter -_-'). Enjoy!**

**Chapter Four:**

**Interrogation Gone Wrong**

"This is _Fairy Tail._"

I stare up at the towering building in awe, not caring about the looks Natsu was giving me. The stone structure stood out like sore thumb next to the other buildings of the village and was by far, one of the most impressive structures I have ever seen.

For one thing, it was grand - almost like a small castle, with every single detail very precise and planned out, from the massive, bronze goblets lining the perimeter of the roofs, to the multi-colored banners that decorated the building. It reminded me of a wedding cake - the bottom was the biggest part and as you went up, it became smaller and smaller, until it couldn't be any tinier and instead of wedding cake toppers, a large bell was placed at the top of the five levels.

Two wide, brown brick columns, with green tinted windows rose from either side of the entrance and right, smack-in-the-middle of the building, a large, orange tapestry hung, with a white symbol resembling a fairy woven on the front.

"Hello? Earth to Lucy…" Natsu says as he waves his hand in front of my face, wrenching me out of my reverie.

I tear my gaze away from the building to turn and pout at him. "Alright, alright, I'm back!" I mumble to him, "It's just… I've never seen anything so… astounding - and that's saying a lot since from where I come from, people would find everything about it amazing… I don't though."

Natsu eyes me curiously and I go back to staring intensely at the two front doors, except now with a mix of amazement and anxiety bubbling up inside of me as I remember why I was here in the first place. I wasn't sure what kind of answers I should be expecting from these so-called "people who wanted to meet me", nor did I know what to expect of_ them_. I have never met anyone from this village, save for Natsu, and I wasn't sure of what kind of people they were. For all I know they could be mass-murderers. I was nervous - as in "I'm going to piss my pants" nervous.

Almost as if sensing my tension, Natsu squeezes my hand reassuringly and smiles at me. I smile a small smile back before turning my attention to something else - _anything _else - to get my mind off of all of these mixed emotions running through me.

His cotton candy locks were the first thing I spot, sticking out at every angle and I can't help but wonder how he can pull off pink, messy hair. His onyx eyes glint with an unusual spark in them, before he tugs on my hand to drag me through the wooden double doors, inside the building. My bare feet feel the change from dirt roads to hard wood floors and I can't help but gape at the inside of the building as well.

A forty-foot high ceiling was held up by large, teak pillars that were placed on either side of the entrance, and continued straight down to the back of the large room where an empty stage stood, waiting to be used. A wrap-around balcony hung twenty feet above the floor along the perimeter of the room and natural light came flooding in from the tons of windows that decorated the front of the building.

Natsu then led me down a small set of stairs into a fairly large space between the lofty columns of wood, where hundreds of deserted tables and chairs were scattered about the area. I can practically picture the lively conversations that occurred in this very room where - with a closer look - beer stained few of the tables and black ink marked the countertops from it seeping through papers that were too thin.

For some reason, I wanted to know more about Natsu and his village. Call me nosy, but technically _he_ kidnapped _me_ and he seemed much more interesting than searching for _Pueblo de Mascara_ at the moment. I clear my throat, deciding to start up a conversation about him.

"Out of curiosity," I start, before continuing on with the question that's been nagging me since I first saw the pinkette, "why exactly do you live in the Amazons? …Is it because it's cheap?" I snort at my own weak attempt at a joke, until I see Natsu's annoyed face and bite my tongue - suddenly becoming very interested with where we were going.

On the left side of us, there was a small set of stairs that led to a never-ending hallway, but instead we make a right and walk up a couple of steps to a massive bar, stocked up on everything from vodka to beer.

I raise an eyebrow at Natsu when he jumps over the bar and disappears behind it, only to come back up a few moments later with two water bottles in tow. He tosses one to me - which I luckily catch and drink from greedily - before taking hold of my wrist that's so tiny compared to his warm, massive hand.

He then drags me around the bar to a hidden corridor, tugging me down the stone hall to the fourth door on the left that he slides us inside. The room had high ceilings like the rest of the building and was relatively neat, save for the cluttering of documents and books - one of which I saw was labeled, _Mythical Field Guide - _on the sides of the room, where bookcases covered every inch of the walls_._ Towards the back of the room, a massive, wooden desk was placed in front of a floor-to-ceiling collage of stained glass windows, that created a picture of what looked like a horde of dragons lying on a grassy field.

It reminded me of a part of a story, the window, and me being the curious archaeologist I am, I wanted to know what the story was, why it was there, why there were ferocious dragons hanging out in a field. I wanted to know if this meant something to Natsu and his village, if it was something more than just a colored window.

Before I can ask Natsu anything, a voice being cleared sounds from the desk. I turn my attention over to an old, partially bald man, seated in a chair a bit too big for him behind the monstrous desk.

"Welcome," a strong, feminine voice sounds, bouncing off of the walls, "my name is Erza Scarlet," a woman around my age steps out of the shadows, dressed in a white blouse tucked into a blue, cotton skirt. Leather, brown boots reach her knees and her bright, red hair came up to her mid-back, cut perfectly straight. Her brown eyes were hard like steel, yet they held a curious gleam to them - sort of how I imagined my own eyes to look like at the moment.

"And this is Makarov Dreyar." She points to the white haired man behind her, "Presumably, you already know Natsu Dragneel, the man who found and escorted you here," I steal a glance at Natsu who straightened when the woman - Erza - said his name. _Is he sweating…? _

"And your name is what, may I ask?" she questioned, yet it sounded more like a demand.

"Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia." My name echoes throughout the room quite a few times, and I think I catch Erza smirking at me. _I hope that's a good sign._

"Obviously," the old man, who I can now call Makarov, says, "you want answers - so do we, and we need answers from _you_."

I raise an eyebrow, "_Me?_"

Makarov nods curtly and Erza replies with, "Yes, if you may allow it, we wish to have you answer some questions. Only a few questions don't worry - nothing that could put you in any danger, and most of them are just yes or no questions anyways."

I bite my lip and look at Natsu from the corner of my eyes and he looks at me from his. Our eyes meet and I want to say to him, _you never said anything about this, pinky_, but instead I just bring my eyes back up to the expecting stares of Erza and Makarov.

I quickly swallow the lump in my throat, "I allow it."

**888**

I sat at a table in the middle of the hall Natsu and I had been in before when we first entered _Fairy Tail_, with Erza sitting across from me. I could tell from the moment I saw the red-head that she was all business, so I tried to be on my best behavior (which was hard with Natsu cracking jokes every time her back was turned).

I got the feeling that she was more of a responsible person, a leader not a follower, as for Makarov… I got a weird vibe from him. He seemed nice and wise enough to me, but I couldn't help but feel that he was a massive pervert - a _short _massive pervert. I mean, every time I wasn't looking, I could literally hear Natsu slapping the old man in the back of the head, telling him to keep his eyes on the floor.

Now, it was only me and Erza sitting at the lone table with Makarov rummaging behind the bar, mumbling something about coffee tasting best with tequila. Natsu was draped on the balcony's railing, his back pressed up against the pillar as he stared down at us.

I lick my lips, "Well… ask away I guess."

Erza nods her head and out of thin air, a small, glowing, magenta circle with swirling designs inside the thin, circular band, appears right next to the redhead. Erza then sticks her hand inside it, her hand disappearing from sight, and then her entire forearm, as she reaches into the circle, searching for something. A few moments later, her scrunched up face contorts into a look of smug triumph as she takes her arm back out, a notepad and pencil clutched in her hand.

I gape at the redhead, unsure if I should be amazed, horrified, or straight up confused about what just happened. I expect the redhead to explain what I just saw (like any other normal person would expect or, well, _do_), but she just clears her throat, not bothering to explain what just happened or how she did it.

"So, Ms. Heartfilia - or would you rather me call you Lucy?" Erza asks.

I look at the girl in disbelief before saying, "Lucy's fine."_ It's like that circle thingy never even happened…_

"Lucy it is, then. Well, are you female or male?"

"Umm…" - _she can't be serious _\- "I'm pretty sure I'm a girl by the looks of it," I hear Natsu snicker from somewhere above me.

"Where are you from?" She asks me.

"New Y - wait a second, why do you want to know where I live?" I cock an eyebrow at the woman across from me as she bites her lip, trying to come up with an answer.

"Well… I want to know more about someone who just shows up on my door step, so that seems like a reasonable question to ask. It's a big world out there, you know. Just saying something like, a country or in some cases, a state, gives me a vague idea of what kind of person you are." Erza says as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Okay, I see what you mean… well, anyways, I'm from New York City. I think that's just the right amount of vague considering there are five different boroughs." I say, crossing my own arms over my chest.

Erza raises her eyebrows in thought, "Okay… have you ever stolen something?"

I frown, "Does a pencil count?"

"No."

"Then no, but I am an archaeologist… so I guess you can say I steal dead people's stuff."

"Interesting," Erza mumbles, "what about drugs?"

"Gross, in my opinion."

"How about murder?"

"Nope, these hands are clean."

"Alcohol?"

"I've had my share."

"What's your occupation?"

"Like I said before, I'm an archaeologist."

"Why are you in the Amazons?"

"My boss sent me to check out a possible dig cite."

"You have any family?"

"I-" I stop myself before I can say anything else. Biting my bottom lip, I look away from Erza and my eyes meet the ground. It's amazing how fast a conversation can change. How a simple phrase or question, can easily worsen or improve a conversation.

_My family…?_ Headlights blind my thoughts and I feel my heart drop. _Mom, dad… _ I can feel tears beginning to prick the corners of my eyes and I quickly plaster a fake smile on my face. _I have no family._

I lick my lips and start again, "I-" I have Wendy.

I have that short, annoying - yet caring - blue haired little sister. I have that twelve year old girl who took in an alley cat at ten years old without my consultation. I have a little sister who probably knew how to patch up cuts and bruises from the womb and who can do the exact opposite of me, make anyone feel good. I have that little miracle.

My fake smile is replaced by a small one, playing along the edges of my mouth, and I finally answer Erza, "I have a little sister," I say in a small voice.

Erza looks up from her notepad and stares at me thoughtfully, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She shakes her head at me before continuing on with her questions.

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"When were you born?"

"July 4, 1994."

"Parents?"

I can practically hear the sirens blaring now and I gulp, answering hesitantly, "Deceased."

Erza looks up at me, her eyes softening, "I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry it happened a long time ago anyways." I cut in before she can say anything else - I never liked people pitying me and she was no exception.

Erza's mouth becomes a thin line and she nods her head at me, "Does that mean you stayed with your relatives?"

A small giggle escapes my lips from how ridiculous she sounds. _Relatives? What_ _"relatives"? _I shake my head at her, "I've never had any other family besides my parents or my sister. If I did, my parents never told me about them."

Erza furrows her eyebrows, "You're an orphan then?" I nod my head at her, "But how could you afford living in New York City if you're nineteen and just got out of the foster care system?"

"I told you already, I work. I have a job. I've had my job since I was seventeen and I saved up money for when I could get out of the foster care system. I had this master plan when I was sixteen about how I would get out of there and survive, and I did it."

Erza looks at me intently before asking if my sister was still in the foster care. "I had some money left over when I left the system and I adopted her."

Erza shakes her head at me and then grins, "I like you Lucy. You have guts like steel and determination like a fire that won't die out. I have a feeling we could be friends." Erza says before sticking her hand out for me to shake.

I smirk, "I hope so," and I take her hand and shake it firmly. She smiles at me before calling over a partially drunk Makarov who stumbles over.

"Lushy," he slurs, "Errrrrzah, where's da-" hiccup "-pyroh?" I look over at Erza and try not to laugh. Her eye was twitching in annoyance at the staggering old man and he seemed as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Master," Erza grinds out, "how much tequila did you put in your coffee?"

"Well-" hiccup "-I splashed some in, but it wasn't enough. You kids have been driving me-" hiccup "-crazy all week, so I needed more alcohol to fog up my mind, so I couldn't-" hiccup "-think about it."

"How much alcohol was that?" I swear I can feel a violent aura coming off of Erza in consistent waves now.

"A lot," Makarov declares while looking into his empty coffee cup as if more alcohol would appear any second now.

Erza sighs, "Go to your office, Master."

"Yup~" He replies giddily as he clomps towards the passageway behind the bar, taking a beer on his way.

I raise my eyebrows Erza who says, "Not a word," before we both begin to crack up at the old man's antics.

A thump sounds from behind me and I turn to see Natsu crouched in a landing position. I furrow my eyebrows and look up to where he was last, sitting on the balcony's railing… twenty feet above where he was now. My eyes widen, "How did you-"

"Now, let's get down to business," he says while standing up. Erza muffles the last of her giggles and nods, sitting back down in her seat. I do the same and Natsu comes over and takes a seat next to me.

Erza takes a deep breath before saying, "What do you want to know Lucy?"

I shrug, "Everything I guess."

"Okay, but before we tell you anything, you need to know that once you hear this, you can't leave here. You could be putting us in danger if you do." Natsu announces.

I shrug, thinking it was probably some joke since it was coming from Natsu, "Okay, I could live with that. My curiosity though… is about to make my brain explode, so please, do tell."

Natsu smirks, "Lucy, we're not human."

I open my mouth to say something, but then I close it. I open it again, but when nothing comes out I close it again. Finally, I manage to mumble, "I can see that."

Natsu nods his head, "Okay, good, I guess. We're not human, but we're actually something more superior-"

"Okay, show off, just get to the point." I say agitatedly.

Natsu sighs, "Alright, we're dragons."

I blink, "What?"

Natsu rolls his eyes at me as if he couldn't understand why I didn't get it, "We're drag-"

"Lucy," Erza cuts in, "Natsu, Makarov, our whole village, and I, we are dragons. We can shift into human form, which is the form we are in most of the time since we can still use our magic in this form as well as in our dragon form. We are just like you, except we're more advanced in a few things like speed, agility, strength, sight, smell, hearing, as well as the fact we can shape-shift and have magical abilities. We live in the Amazons because this is where we've always been, all of our ancestors have lived here safely and so will we. No human has come across our species since we are invisible to the human eye, until now."

I clasp my hands together, taking in all of the information that was just thrown at me. "So… okay… I get it… and by 'no human has come across our species until now'… do you mean me? I'm the first human who's ever seen you?"

Erza nods her head, "I don't know how, but you can."

I shrug, "I guess it's sort of hard to miss a huge fire," I turn to glare at Natsu who looks at me through narrowed eyes.

Natsu sighs, "That's because we're currently in a war with another clan west of here, which is why you saw me fighting that guy. He was from the tribe we're at war with and was in our lands."

Erza turns her attention to Natsu, "You never told me about this."

"Well, now I did." He says, not meeting Erza's eyes.

Erza sighs, "Who was it?"

"Orga."

Erza stares at Natsu incredulously before pursing her lips, "Good job, but next time, tell me about it right away after you kick someone's ass."

Natsu snorts, "Sure thing."

"Umm… sorry to interrupt the… _moment_, but I was just wondering," I mumble out, catching their attention immediately, "what did you mean by 'magical abilities'?"

Erza and Natsu blink in unison before Erza replies, "Well… we all practice different kinds of magic. I practice what we call 'Requip Magic', where I can store things in a different space and call on them at will, such as weapons and armory. I use my magic mainly to help me fight, yet I also store some normal things in that different space such as my notepad and pencil."

I nod my head, "And what about you Natsu?"

"I practice 'Fire Dragon Slaying Magic'-"

"Wait," I butt in, "aren't you a dragon? Why would you practice 'Fire Dragon _Slaying_ Magic'?"

He sighs, "Would you let me finish? I was just about to get to that. Anyways, I practice 'Fire Dragon Slaying Magic', which basically means my magic circulates throughout my entire body, giving me the ability to create fire from anywhere on my body, like my hands, feet, elbows, anywhere. I can also breathe and eat fire, too."

I scrunch up my face, remembering last night when there was a fireball pummeling towards my head, "That makes sense."

Natsu chuckles at me and I allow a smile to creep onto my face as well, his laugh contagious. Smiling, he looks at me and eventually his eyes find their way to mine and I can't help but stare into his onyx orbs, too. The black eyes I was so familiar with from nights of that nightmare replaying over and over in my head, were like the night sky, dark and captivating, mysterious yet playful, and they swept me away from the real world for the two seconds our gazes met. Blushing, I break his intense gaze and turn to Erza who was looking from me to Natsu a couple of times, thinking about God knows what.

The redhead sighs, "So, Lucy, we can't exactly build a house for you right away with the war going on, so you can stay with either me or Natsu for the time being."

I raise an eyebrow at the redhead, _wait… what did she just say? "Can't build a house for you… stay with either me or Natsu"? What is she talking about?_

"She can stay with me," I hear Natsu say, but I feel like I'm underwater listening to him. I can't figure out why Erza would say that… I mean, I'm not staying-

Then it dawns on me_. Remember what Natsu said? "Once you hear this, you can't leave here"? And what did I say, "I can live with that"? HOLY SHIT THEY WEREN'T JOKING WERE THEY. But what about Wendy? Who's going to take care of her?! Shit! Shit! Shit! Stupid curiosity!_

"Lucy?" Erza says, breaking me out of my thoughts, "Are you alright?"

I look up at the redhead to see concern written all over her face. I purse my lips until they were only a thin white line and answer her with a lie, "Yeah… I just… I just need some air. Excuse me," and with that I got up from my seat and left the two dragons alone.

Making a beeline for the front doors, I make my way outside to see the morning sun a little bit higher in the sky, and a still sound-asleep village. Gulping, I quickly scan the area around me for anything, a stray knife lying around or even a jug of water, and come up empty. Quickly, I begin jogging towards the green jungle surrounding the village.

The moment I step foot into the jungle, I check behind me to see _Fairy Tail_ the size of a piece of paper, meaning I was at least a mile away from it, and its doors opening, someone the size of an ant with a pink blob on their head stepping out. _Natsu._

I'm glued to my spot as I watch him with wide eyes while he looks around for me. I feel a pang of guilt run through me as I see him scratch the back of his neck in confusion. He suddenly freezes though, his nose up in the air, and begins to - what looks like - sniff the air. _"We're just like you, except we're more advanced in a few things like speed, agility, strength, sight, smell" - oh God._

I feel my heart stop as I see him look in my direction and take his first few steps towards me. I somehow manage to tear my feet from their spots rooted on the ground, and I begin to sprint through the trees, running at random, knowing that if he caught me, I'd have to stay, and then I'll never see Wendy again.

**Author's Note:**

**Is it just me, or are my chapters getting longer and more boring? *laughs* Anyways, please review - constructional criticism is welcome, it's what helps me make my chapters and stories better (so thanks for them ; )). **

**Peace!**

**-idevourbooks**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: This has been revised! Or do I call it edited? Why not both? *Mexican music plays***

**Hey guys! Sorry if it feels like forever since I last updated, but I literally just finished school this week so... PARTY! No, just kidding, there was no party - if anything it was more like a birthday party for my dad (or a sleep 'till noon party - now that's my kind of party). Anyways, I just wanted to say two things before I let you guys enjoy. 1) Thank you everyone for the great reviews! You have no idea how happy they make me! And 2) I didn't think anyone would actually like this story (especially since it's been going at a slow pace -_-') so I don't know... thanks for reading and liking it I guess?**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Five:**

**Consequences**

"You know that you're a dick, right?" I seethe at Natsu, who seemed unaffected by the insult I just spat at him.

It hadn't taken Natsu long to catch up to me, and the moment he did, Natsu had tackled me into a boulder, pinned me there until I calmed down, swung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and now he was "accidentally" putting his hands on my ass to keep me on his shoulder. _Why not just let me walk like a normal person? It's not_ _like I can run away since he's faster than fucking light._

He hums an uninterested reply of agreement, and tightens his left hand's grip on my legs as he jumps over a tree log, and places his right hand on my ass when he slips up on the landing. I turn beat red as I squirm around in his arms to swat at his hand that was placed firmly on my ass. He takes off his hand and begins to swat at my own hand for it to get away, so he could place his hand on my lower back instead.

I frown, but eventually let him keep his hand there in fear of falling off of his shoulder. I begin to become very conscious of the cozy warmth emitting from him, and I end up forcing my mind onto a different subject when I start to think about snuggling into the warmth.

_I wonder what'll happen now… will I still stay with Natsu? Will I be punished? Will I be stuck in this village for the rest of my life? Will I never see Wendy again?_ I frown at the thought of never seeing Wendy again - _wait, what would happen to her then? Would Kinana take care of her for me? Would she go back into the foster care system? If she does, would she hate me for leaving her? Would she be miserable? Would… would she get hurt?_ _I would never be able to live with myself_ _if something were to happen to her… ugh! Why brain, why?!_ Pouting, I rest my head in my hands and I think of all the different scenarios there could be of how the rest of Wendy's - and my own - life could go.

When my scenarios start to get a little out of hand, as in, I-somehow-end-up-in-Egypt out of hand, I begin to take notice in the uncomfortable silence that lingered over Natsu and me.

"So…" I start in an attempt to break the silence, "we're going back to the village?"

He replies with, "Mm-hmm."

I nod my head, "Are we almost there?"

"Mm-hmm," he hums again.

I raise my eyebrows at him, "Is that all you say?"

"Mm-hmm."

I scowl, _he's being so childish_, "If you're that angry, the least you can do is tell me why-"

I know I said the wrong thing when his grip on me tightens.

"'Tell you why'?! Are you serious?! Luce, you heard information about my village - _my family _\- that could potentially kill us if put in the wrong hands, and you ran away, after you agreed you would stay-"

"I thought you were joking!" I cut in, my voice rising with every word, "Besides, I would never tell anyone-"

"-that's not the point, Luce!" he yells as he unconsciously squeezes my body tighter, "The point is, we gave you - someone who is basically a stranger to us - information about our village." The pain from Natsu's grip was becoming excruciating, but I keep my mouth shut and allow him to continue, "Heck! I _brought_ you_ into_ our village. I told you things no one should know except for those in the village, so now you're one of us, whether you like or not!" He spats out, his anger reflected in the way he gripped me tighter and how his body temperature went up drastically during the time he was talking.

I purse my lips together and furrow my eyebrows. I had never thought of it like that… I never thought I could be seen as a threat to anyone. I mean, who does? You just think the people around you are threats to you, but not you a threat to someone else. It's weird, I guess, you never really think about how everyone is their own person with feelings and thoughts, and how we may be different from one another in so many ways, we are also very alike. Thoughts, ideas, feelings… everyone has them, and I guess most people think alike in order to survive.

I feel bad now… but then again, my back and legs hurt too, so I guess Natsu and I are even now.

I hear him sigh as he loosens his grip on me (something I am _extremely_ thankful for) and readjusts me on his shoulder, which I answer with a squeal and me clutching onto the back of his vest. I can feel him roll his eyes and I smack him in the back of the head.

"Ow, what was that for?" He says through gritted teeth.

"You rolled your eyes," I answer bluntly.

"What - how do you know?" he asks.

"Gut-feeling."

He scoffs, "You sure are one weirdo."

"Gee, I'm touched," I say sarcastically.

He doesn't answer back and we are back to being silent again. I huff out a long breath and look up at the small sections of the orange sky that was visible from the crowded trees. It was dark inside the rain forest - I'm actually surprised Natsu can see where he's going in this darkness - and hot. It was the kind of hot where you could feel the moisture in the air around you, almost as if you're walking through a cloud.

I can feel my bangs sticking to my forehead, and I'm not even walking. Natsu was, and he was also carrying me, a nineteen year old girl, on his shoulder. _Jeez, I guess dragons really are more advanced in some things._

I tilt my head slightly so I can see the rosy haired male. His face was an unreadable mask, with his jaw set and his coal eyes hard like steel. He seemed as if he was having a mental debate with himself, what about, I have no clue, but I can take a guess it must've had something to do with me. I bite my lip, the feeling of guilt creeping back up on me. He was right and I was wrong, and that was that. And it sure as Hell didn't leave either one of us feeling good.

"You know," Natsu whispers, cutting off my train of thought, "we would've let you visit your friends and family every once in a while. It would probably slowly crush someone like you to stay away from the world you're so used to. Just because we're dragons doesn't mean we're that cruel." He says, smiling sadly at the end.

_Did he really think I thought that? That I pictured him as some kind of… monster? Well, I guess it must've come off that way, especially since I did run away… aw, now I feel even guiltier!_

"I'm sorry," I mumble so softly I was sure that if he were any other human, he wouldn't have heard it. But of course, Natsu was no human.

"Don't apologize," he says, "I can see why you ran away, but don't expect anyone else to understand," a small smirk appears on his face as he turns his head to face my own, whispering his next words, "I'm different."

I snort, "I can tell."

**888**

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" I wince at the booming voice of one person and one person alone, Erza Scarlet.

Natsu had brought me back to Fairy Tail, allowing me to sit at the table I sat at not long ago, watching my every move as he called for the redhead, who came barging in like an angry nun.

I gulp, "Hi, Erza-"

"'HI'?" she roars, "_'HI'?_ ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? I THINK THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD BE SAYING IS HOW SORRY-"

"Erza!" Natsu cuts her off, causing both Erza and I to look at him. He gives Erza this look that basically says, 'BEHAVE', and she closes her eyes, taking in a deep breath, before looking back at me.

"Lucy," she starts again, this time through gritted teeth, "I am very frustrated and confused as to why you ran away. Care to explain yourself?"

I quickly muster up my courage and start explaining, "Well, when I realized you guys were for real about the whole 'me living here' thing-"

"Which we still are," she butts in.

"So I've noticed," I reply to her, not in the mood to pick fights, "-I guess I freaked out. I mean, I have a life, a job, a fami-"

"All of which you will be leaving behind to stay here with us."

"Yes, all of which I will be lea - wait, _what?_ You mean, as in, never seeing again?" I ask in disbelief. _But Natsu just told me…_

"Yes, what else would it mean?" she asks, clearly confused with what other way I could have perceived this piece of information.

"Well, it could mean visits! I could be allowed to visit-"

"Nope." She says curtly.

I lick my lips nervously, "But-"

"NO BUTS! I don't like those who go against their word, and you gave it before. Maybe if you abided by it, I might have allowed you to visit the city once a month - maybe even your friends and family. Now, I am presenting you with the consequence of never being able to visit the outside world again."

"Wait, but-"

"I said no buts!"

I began to feel desperate as thoughts of Wendy filled my mind. "I-I have a sister though-"

"Should've of thought of that before~"

"Please!" I shriek, "She's only a child! She won't make it on her own! I'm all she has left! Please-!"

"NO!" she roars, the understanding girl I spoke to before completely gone now, "YOU GAVE YOUR WORD AND YOU BROKE IT. NOW YOU WILL PAY THE CONSEQUENCE-"

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE JOKING!" I screech at her. Both of us were standing now, palms flat against the table as we yelled at each other. She stood perfectly still, her eyes dark and conflicted, with her feelings and principles mixing together into one big ball of debate.

Reflected in her eyes, I saw my own, desperate self. I was shaking in anger, my eyebrows furrowed in a way I've never seen before, and my eyes were filled with my determination and rage as I fought with the woman across from me. _She can't be serious…!_

"Please…" I hoarsely whisper out, knowing this was my last chance.

She sighs, "Look," she says softly, "just go with Natsu and get to know the village. Meet people, learn something," I didn't like where this was going, especially when her lips formed a thin, white line, "because you're going to be staying here… for a while."

And just like that, my last chance was gone.

**888**

"Luce!" I hear Natsu say my name from beside me, but I just ignore him, knowing I was going to see him again, and again, and again-

"Luce!" he tries again.

I ignore him.

The only thought that was going through my head was Wendy. Wendy, Wendy, Wendy. Wendy taking her first steps on her chubby little one-year-old legs. Wendy when she read for the first time. Wendy on her first day of school. Wendy when she played doctor and archaeologist instead of dress up like all the other little girls her age. Wendy when she showed me her first tooth falling out. Wendy when she came into the office to help me do some paperwork. Wendy when she found out about getting out of the foster care system. Wendy when she failed at making dinner and ended up spraying pasta sauce all over our brand new kitchen. Wendy when she found that damn alley cat. Wendy, Wendy, Wendy.

I will never be there for the next memories she will make. I will never be there, not now, not later, not ever.

I pick up the pace as I clomp through the just awakening village, making my way back to Natsu's house. After Erza had pretty much told me to get used to the place I was going to live at for the rest of my life, I sort of threw a fit. Scratch that, I over-reacted. I had lunged for the redhead, my intentions obviously violent (I wanted to beat the shit out of her and then piss on her grave), but before I could even touch her, Natsu had wrapped his arms around me and was holding me back. I screamed bloody murder as she calmly walked out of the room, blah, blah, blah. Long story short, I was pissed. Actually, I was beyond pissed - I'm surprised I don't have steam coming out of my ears because of that unfeeling redhead.

"LUCY!"

I whip around to face Natsu, "WHAT?!" I yell back at him.

"Finally! She speaks!" he sarcastically says. I roll my eyes and turn back around to keep on walking when he yells, "Hey, WAIT!"

Not wanting to deal with his shit at the moment, I break into run, hearing Natsu call after me as he begins to run as well. I make it back to the house with the red door, reaching for the doorknob when I realize it was locked. I groan and cross my arms as I wait for Natsu to come and unlock his house. He stomps up the stairs to the door opens it easily, no keys or anything. I raise an eyebrow at him and he answers with something about the doors being charmed or something (I was too enraged to pay attention to what he said exactly). I stalk inside the house and I hear the door click closed behind me.

"Lucy…" Natsu calls after me as I go up the stairs. I totally ignore him and I continue to walk down the short hall, trying to remember which door led where.

"Luce." Natsu moans from the stairs. I disregard him and open up one of the doors to see it wasn't even a room, but a closet. Huffing I turn to the next door to see what's there.

"LUCY!" Natsu yells as he grabs my wrist, turning me around to face him. I glance up at his annoyed face before averting my eyes to stare at his chest as to not make eye contact with him.

"Luce… look at me," he mutters, but I don't budge, "Luce…" he says, a little bit irritated now, "look at me, Luce."

I hesitantly flick my eyes up to his onyx ones, "What?" I snap a little more harshly than how I wanted it to come out.

He takes a deep breath, "Are you okay?"

It takes a few moments for his words to sink in, and when they do, I begin to giggle, I just can't help myself. It sounded so… _funny,_ "'Are you okay?' 'Are you okay?' Yeah Natsu, I'm okay. I'm just never going to see my only family again. Yeah, I'm _perfect_." I answer sarcastically, staring straight into his onyx eyes that were filled with pity and worry.

He sighs, "Look, I didn't mean it like that-"

"Yeah, okay, whatever, I don't care," I shakily smile at him, "You know, she's all I have left, but that doesn't matter right? Because I'll never see her again, and we'll both never have any other family, but that doesn't matter, right?" I say, tears of frustration and sorrow pricking at the corners of my eyes, "Right?" I croak out.

"Hey," Natsu murmurs out, "don't think like that."

"It's true though," I mumble out, a single, stray tear escaping from my eye, "I have no more family left and now I'm never going to leave here-"

"Hey, what's so bad about here?" he asks playfully as he brings his hands to my face to wipe away my tears, "You've only been here for less than a day! You might like it here, and family doesn't stop with blood. Maybe we can become your new family."

Through my tears, I can't help but smile up at him, "Thank you, Natsu, that's really sweet… but it's not me I'm worried about - it's her, my little sister who isn't even close to being old enough to live on her own. Right now, there are two possibilities for her. One, my friend takes her in. Or two, she goes back into the foster care system, where I was-" I stop myself from saying anything else and instead I croak out this, "-where let's just say bad stuff happened to us. I'm not saying I won't like it here, I actually have a gut feeling I'll love it here, but I can't if my little sister is suffering and I'm here, having a good time with you guys."

He sighs as he looks back and forth between both of my eyes. He clicks his tongue in thought before saying, "How about this, I'll make a deal with you." I raise an eyebrow, _what is he playing at?_ "If you go out into the village and give us a chance, I will keep you informed on how your sister is doing."

I knit my eyebrows together, "And how will you do that?" I question.

He smirks, "Let's just say… I know people."

I roll my eyes, "And how will I know you're not giving me false information?"

He looks me in the eyes as his face softens, "I guess you'll just have to trust me," he whispers to me. He was so close to me now, so close his breath was tickling my nose that I unwillingly twitch. _Embarrassing…_

I tear my thoughts away from him before licking my lips in thought, and nodding my head at him. He grins, "Deal?"

I begin to take his hands off of my face and sigh, "Deal."

His grin becomes even wider as I follow him into his room and ask if there were any other clothes I could borrow. He nods his head and goes to his dresser that was stuffed in the corner, pulling out a random outfit he throws my way.

I luckily catch it and ask, "Where do you get girls' clothes anyways? Obviously you're not a girl…?"

He shrugs, "Some girls in the village donated some of their clothes for you to use and stole one of my draws to keep all that crap in there as well. They're also the ones who cleaned you up when I brought you here. Oh right! Speaking of crap, your bag is somewhere around here..."

I nod my head as he searches his room, happy my bag was lost here rather than the jungle, but then I quickly slap his arm, "My bag is _not_ crap!"

He snorts, "Whatever you say - it looked like a beat-up, leather hide to me until one of the girls made it clear to me that it was actually a bag."

I sarcastically laugh as he directs me to the bathroom across the hall. Natsu's house wasn't that big, and the way the building was shaped caused the top floor to be smaller than the bottom floor. On the second floor, there was only his bedroom, a hall closet, an entrance to the attic, and of course, the bathroom.

The bathroom was quite plain, yet in a good way with all of the necessities there. Tan tile lined the floors, the walls were painted a forest green, and a wooden countertop held the modern working faucet. A toilet (thank God - I have to _go_) was tucked away in the corner of the bathroom right next to the shower that was one of the fancy looking ones with the glass surrounding it.

I quickly kick Natsu out of the bathroom and shut the door behind him. I strip out of my dress and take a quick shower, washing away all of the sweat and tears. I wash out my knotty hair with the Axe shampoo he had in his shower and I can't help but wonder how he could've gotten this - I mean, he's in the middle of the freaking Amazons, how do they get any of this stuff? They shouldn't even have showers! (Though I am grateful they have them.)

Shrugging it off, I hop out of the shower feeling so much better, and I dry off with one of the fluffy, red towels that were in the bathroom. _See!? How does he have this? _I click my tongue in thought before I tug on the fresh, new undergarments Natsu had given me (it was so not weird that they fit me perfectly, nope not at all).

I then pull on a dark green, strapless top that came down to right above my belly button. Stepping into plain, black shorts, I tug my hair into two low pigtails and comb out my bangs with my fingers. I put my dirty clothes in what looks a hamper in the corner of the bathroom and I make my way out of the bathroom to see Natsu lying shirtless on his bed with a ball of blue fur on his stomach.

He appeared to be sleeping or something since his arm with the red tattoo on it was draped across his face and his chest moved up and down in slow, steady breaths. I smirk and walk over the pink haired pyro, looking down at him and the ball of blue that with a closer look, I see is actually a cat. _A blue cat… huh._

"Are you just going to stand there?" I practically jump out of my skin as Natsu removes his arm away from his face and raises an eyebrow at me, the blue ball of fur uncurling on Natsu's stomach.

"I thought you were sleeping," I breathe out, still not fully recovered from the mini heart attack I just had.

"Nope, why would I sleep when there's the chance of you running away again?" he counters as the cat hops off of his lap and onto the floor.

I stare at Natsu, "Come on, don't you trust me?" I say, smirking deviously.

He rolls his eyes at me before getting off of the bed and rewrapping his scarf around his neck. "What's that?" I ask, pointing to the scar on his neck.

"A scar," he answers bluntly as he picks up his vest off of the bed and slips it on.

"I _knew_ that," I declare, "what I meant to say was how'd you get it?"

He scrunches up his face in confusion, "How does 'what's that' translate into 'how'd you-'"

"Just answer the question!" I exasperatedly say as I walk up to him and playfully poke his shoulder.

He shrugs, "I don't know."

I stare up at him incredulously, "You 'don't know'. What do you mean you don't know? Of course you know, silly! It's your neck after all." I grin at him.

He shakes his head at me and frowns, "Nope. It's been there for as long as I can remember."

Confused, I furrow my eyebrows in thought, wondering how he could've gotten it then, given what he's telling me is in fact the truth. It didn't make sense though… if it was a birth mark I'd understand, but this was a full-on scar. It was a white, jagged mark that seemed like it hurt when whatever created it punctured his neck, forever blemishing his skin. Maybe it was a reminder of some sort… a painful reminder? One he doesn't like to talk about? If it was, I'd understand perfectly then - I have my fair share of those and never in a million years would I be comfortable to talk about the stories behind them. I've never even told Wendy what stories they held.

Natsu clears his throat, snapping me out of my thoughts, to present to me my precious messenger bag. I squeal as Natsu hands it to me, which I gratefully take and sling over my shoulder. I quickly flip open the flap to take a quick glance at my possessions, ensuring everything was still in there. My chest began to swell with joy as I trace the engraving on my dad's compass once and internally smile before returning my gaze back up to Natsu to see him eyeing me curiously.

"What?" I ask.

He shakes his head at me, dismissing it as "nothing" before grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the room into the hall. "Where are we going?" I say half way down the stairs.

Natsu turns to smile at me, "You want to see the village, right?"

_Yes!_ I think. My inner-archaeologist was surfacing and was telling me to do what I did best - learn stuff about ancient civilizations. "Yeah," I answer, allowing a small smile to break out on my lips, "I'm actually really excited. But," we were at the front door now and I turn to face Natsu. I don't know what has possessed me to do this, but I got on my tippy toes and kissed Natsu on the cheek. "Thank you, for my bag."

Before he could say anything, I reached for the front door's handle and swung the door open to the now awake village.

**Author's Note:**

***wiggles eyebrows*... NALU. Sorry, they're my OTP. *laughs* ANYWAYS, I hope that was enjoyable. It took a lot of blood and tears, but I did it. Any who, please review! Your reviews make my day! Constructional criticism is welcome people! They are what help you improve the most and me improving means better chapters for you guys!**

**Peace!**

**-idevourbooks**

**P.S. Check out my other story, Waiting Here! You know you want to! **

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**Okay, I better go before I get any weirder than I can get at eleven o'clock at night. Bye!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: This! Has been! EDITED! (Read it in Gandalf's voice and it sounds so much better XD)**

**I am so sorry for the long wait guys! I went on a week long vacation with no laptop, better yet no _Wi-Fi_ (the horrors! I almost died, guys.) so yeah. I didn't really get to write - but I did get some new ideas for stories (BWAHAHAHA)! Anyways, enjoy!**

**Chapter Six:**

**Fortunes for the Blonde**

I drag Natsu down the steps and was amazed at how busy the once silent village was. People walked up and down the streets, some stopping at the stands set up in the middle of the road and others making their way to either the jungle or to the center of the village, where a market was set up. I tug Natsu through the crowded streets, being eyed by curious villagers the entire time.

I shrug off their gazes and make it to the loud and eventful market, navigating my way through the narrow pathways separating one stand from another. Spices, meat, fabrics, metals, books, fruits, vegetables - it was unbelievable. They had everything that I had back home, possibly even more.

"CHICKENS! GET SOME LIVE, JUICY CHICKENS! YOU KNOW YOU WANT 'EM!" Sounds from a stand somewhere in front of us.

Natsu's eye twitches, "Give me a second," he grumbles into my ear before storming off towards the source of the chanting.

I follow Natsu's pink blob of hair with my eyes until it disappears among the flood of people. Sighing, I begin to look around by myself, stopping at a book display to find tons of amazing titles - even "_KEMU ZALEON?!_" I exclaim, my jaw hanging wide open with my eyes the size of dinner plates.

I hear giggling come from the stand and I turn my attention over to a short, blue haired girl who was staring at me with her big, doe eyes. "You like him too?" She asks smiling.

I vigorously nod my head up and down, "I've only read, like, every single one of his books! What do you like him too?"

She rolls her eyes, "No," she says, her words dripping with sarcasm, "I only have every single one of his books on my display!"

I giggle and she begins to laugh along with me. _Maybe not everyone here is that_ _bad - maybe Natsu was right._ I stifle my laughter before introducing myself, "Hi, I'm Lucy! I'm sort of new here I guess."

Her eyes brighten, "Oh, so that's your name!" she says smiling until a scowl begins to form on her face, "Ugh, I guess I have to give Cana her money now…"

I furrow my eyebrows at her, "What?"

She notices my confusion and quickly answers, "Oh, nothing, it's just that, Cana and I along with some other girls were the ones who cleaned you up and brought you some clothes, so I already know you're new here. And when Cana and I were cleaning you up, a book fell out of your bag. Cana checked it - even though I told her not to - and she saw 'Lucy' inside of it. She then claimed it was your name while I said it wasn't and-"

"-now she owes me thirty Jewels." A pleased voice cuts Levy off and I turn around to see a tan girl around my age with brown, wavy hair and a bottle of Sake clutched in her hand while her other arm was thrown over my shoulder. Like the blue haired girl, she wore brown pants that came down to her knees and she had on a blue bikini top on with nothing else, unlike the other girl who wore a yellow bikini top with a blue vest thrown on top.

"Hi," she says, her breath reeking of alcohol, "I'm Cana and shorty over there," she points to the blue haired girl who looked ticked off with her nickname, "is the one and only bookworm, Levy McGarden. If you ever have a problem with codes and runes and all that other shit, she's the one to go to."

I nod my head, "I'll make sure to remember that," I say, winking at Levy.

"FIGHT ME OLD MAN!" Cuts through the air and I almost face palm. _Natsu…_

"Oh God, is Natsu picking a fight again?" Levy questions, leaning out of her booth to see where the noise was coming from.

Cana scowls, "Yup, and it looks like it's with my dad."

Levy scrunches up her face, "Oh, that won't end well."

I furrow my eyebrows, "Why?"

"Well, every single time Natsu picks a fight with my dad, two seconds in-" **BOOOM!** The ground began to shake and a few screams, oddly along with a couple laughs, were heard throughout the market, "-that happens." Cana finishes, with a grin plastered on her face.

I'm guessing I must've looked surprised because both Cana and Levy burst out laughing upon seeing my face. I quickly recover though and let out a small, "Ah," to which they laugh even more.

Finally, Cana announces, "I like you, Lucy, you seem like a fun chick. Now, let's go check out my booth!" she says before eagerly pulling me away from Levy's booth to whom I utter a quick goodbye to.

"Excuse me! The almighty Cana is coming through bitches! Move the fuck out of the way!" Cana slurs out to the people we pass as she snakes us through the crowded street.

"Move it, Grandma!" she yells at a dirty blonde who through her glasses, you can tell was giving Cana the stink eye.

"You know my name Cana, now get it right!" she roars at her.

Cana just grins, "Oh right, I'm sorry - move out of the fucking way, Four Eyes!"

The girl grits her teeth and a black aura begins to emit from her. I practically jump out of my skin, but Cana just laughs and tugs us forward before flipping her off. I can't help but laugh with her - this place is a nut house! Fights, drunks, sarcastic people, now that I think about it, it isn't much different than New York City.

Cana finally stops us in front of a booth that was draped with different colored silks from purple to blue, and hung from the posts at the top of the area, to the ground around the perimeter. A Persian rug covered the dirt floor and colorful pillows were placed around a low rise, round table that I can only guess was made out of Mahogany.

Cana lets go of my hand and struts over to the small table, placing a huge, purple turban on her head that was decorated with a blue feather and a pink gem holding it in place. She plops onto one of the pillows on the floor and motions me to sit across from her. I make an attempt to muffle my giggles as I sit across from the ridiculous looking girl on a silky, red pillow.

"Now," she says before taking a swig of her Sake still grasped firmly in her hand, "as you can see, I, the Almighty Cana, am a Fortune Teller - though," she says in hushed voice, leaning forward so I can hear her, "I can do a lot more than just tell fortunes. It would be sad if a dragon couldn't do anything else than read a few fates and lives if you know what I mean? Anyways," she says, going back to sitting up straight and talking powerful and demanding, "I feel the need to read your fortune with my lovely tarot cards," she lifts her blue, fuzzy bag onto the table and takes out a deck of cards. She spreads them out before me and grins, "Want to give it a go?"

Before I can answer the drunken girl, someone else does for me, "No she does not." I turn around to see Natsu leaning against the pillar with a ton of bruises and scratches on his body. His clothes were in tatters except for some weird reason his scarf, and he seemed annoyed about something.

Cana begins cackling as she takes in his appearance. Gasping for air, she manages to say, "Guess my dad still has it in him to kick your ass!" before another fit of snickers over takes her.

Natsu just rolls his eyes and I just shake my head. I get up off the pillow and dust myself off, "I guess the fight didn't go as planned?" I ask eyeing his injuries.

He scowls and grabs my wrist, leading me away from the laughing drunk. I trail behind him as he makes his way through the swarming village's center. He finally breaks through the crowd onto another street that was thankfully, less active than the center of the village.

"Hey Natsu?" I call, continuing with the question that's been eating at me when he grunts in reply, "How do you guys have all of this stuff? I mean, I remember you guys saying how no human has actually ever seen you and well, you're in the middle of a rainforest, so how do you guys have all of this stuff?"

He manages to match my pace so we're walking side by side before answering, "Okay, well, it's sort of like a process I guess… how do I explain this… basically, everything comes from the humans. And Warlocks-Blue Pegasus, Werewolves-Quatro Ceberus, and Vampires-Raven Tail, they all make contact with the humans, getting goods and trading things. Now this is where it gets a little complicated, Quatro Ceberus trades with the only two Dragon villages, us, and our enemy/rival-Sabertooth. Blue Pegasus trades with both the Merpeople of Mermaid Heel and Lamia Scale, and Mermaid Heel only trades with us, finishing our resources besides the jungle. Lamia Scale is also battling with Mermaid Heel, who due to the trading route, is our Ally. Lamia Scale also trades with Sabertooth along with Raven Tail, making them all Allies and the three of them our Enemies. Make sense?"

I furrow my eyebrows, "So basically you have the Wolves, Mages, and Vamps do your scavenging and then they give it to the Mermaids who give it to you?"

"Basically, yeah, except the details are very important, too you know." He says matter-of-factly.

I roll my eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I know my entire career practically revolves around that... wait - so do the mermaids have tails or like a normal human body with gills or something?"

Cackling, Natsu throws his arm around my shoulder and squeezes, "Wow Luce, out of everything I just told you, _that's_ what you think?! Wow, just wow."

"What, it's a serious question!" I argue to which he just cackles even more.

We return to walking through the streets, exploring all the little shops and restaurants. We stop for lunch, where I find out Natsu is a barbarian when it comes to food, and resume looking around his village into the night.

**888**

"Where are we going?" I ask Natsu as he continues to guide me through the crisscrossing streets of Fairy Tail. I had just come out of the bathroom when all of a sudden he just grabs my arm and begins tugging me through the village like a madman towards God knows where.

"_Natsu…_" I whine. He just turns his head around to face me, smiling and winking before turning back around. _What the fuck? Natsu you bastard! TELL ME!_

We make a sharp right onto a familiar road and he continues to haul me through the streets that seemed practically dead compared to a few hours ago when they were thriving with life. _Where is everyone?_

My ears start to pick up on the faint sounds of fast, up-beat music and chatter and I can practically feel my face beginning to light up. Natsu drags me around another familiar corner and the music continues to get louder and louder, making me more anxious and excited. We round one more corner and we're standing in front of the Guild Hall, where the music was coming from.

"No way…" I unconsciously whisper.

Natsu drags me up the steps and smiles wide at me before kicking the doors open to what looks like a boisterous party. People filled the tables and sat at the bar, laughing, joking, drinking, fighting, you name it and they were doing it. On the stage there was a small band of people playing their hearts out what sounded like joyous folk music on fiddles and flutes, one man even had the bag pipes! Waitresses wove through tables with drinks and chatted feverishly with the people seated. It was like nothing I've ever seen before.

"I'M HERE!" Natsu yells as he leads me down the stairs into the party. He gets a truck load of greetings being yelled his way along with some invitations to a brawl. I, on the other hand, got hoots and hollers from some older guys causing me to cringe, making Natsu challenge them to do it again and see what he does.

Laughter then fills up the Hall and Natsu is quickly in a fight with a bunch of other guys and I'm left all alone to observe the chaotic party. They're definitely lively, I'll give them that much.

A tap on the shoulder causes me to almost jump out of my skin in fear it was one of those old perverts, but instead I'm surprised to hear a light and bubbly giggle instead of some old farts cackle. I turn to see a beautiful, smiling girl probably a couple years older than me with long, white locks and sapphire blue eyes. Her magenta dress came down to her ankles, just showing her matching heels, and she carefully balanced a tray of drinks in her hand.

"Hi there, sweetie!" She says in a sweet voice, "I'm glad to see my clothes fit you! Oh," she giggles on seeing my confused face, "right, I'm Mirajane and I donated to you some of my clothing when yours was in shreds."

"Oh, why um, thank you! It's nice to meet you Mirajane! I'm Lucy," I say putting my hand out for her to shake.

Instead, she just squeals and hugs me, but quickly recomposes herself saying, "Please, call me Mira, everyone does anyways."

I giggle and she smirks grabbing my hand and leading me towards one of the tables where she drops off her drinks to a few men that she wastes no time introducing me to. "That's Warren-"

"Hello!" said man greets.

"-and that's Max-"

"How's it going, sug-BLERGH!" he's cut short when a fire ball hits him right in the stomach.

"Whoops, sorry Max!" comes from the pink headed Pyro who just threw it at him.

"-and this is Al!" Mira finishes, not even bothered by the fact that she was interrupted and that Max was currently dead on the ground.

"Hi!" Al says, smiling up at me.

I nod my head, "Hi… uh, Mira?" I ask.

"Mhmm?" She says obliviously.

"Uh, shouldn't we help him?" I mumble, pointing at Max's deceased body.

She giggles, "He'll live."

"He he…" I nervously laugh and stare at the other two men who just smile and nod at me, as if agreeing with Mira. _What the fuck?!_

She pulls me away from the table towards the bar where I gingerly take a seat on one of the bar stools. Mira goes behind the bar and smiles, "So, what do you think?"

A smile tugs on the corners of my mouth, "Different, yet in a good way."

She sighs in relief, "Oh thank Mavis, I thought you were going to hate this side of us."

I giggle, "No, no, it's very lively-"

"COME BACK HERE ICE PRINCESS!"

"HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT, HOT HEAD!"

"NEITHER OF YOU ARE VERY MANLY!"

"-yup, definitely lively, but don't you think we should probably stop them?" I finish.

Mira nods, "Yeah, I know what you mean, but," she says, going around the bar with a whole new load of drinks, "fighting makes it more exciting, don't you think?" Those were her famous last words before a table flew full speed towards her.

Incredibly, she dodges and she stays perfectly fine, but her tray wasn't so lucky with a large dent blemishing its once flat surface. I swear to God I can see black seeping off of her as she looks down at the hunk of metal. "Mira…?" I whisper.

"That," she starts, "was my," her head whips up and her eyes hold a deadly gleam to them, "FAVORITE TRAY!" And with that, the black smoke around her became so thick I couldn't even see her anymore, and when the smoke cleared, a totally different person stood. With a long, dinosaur like tail and massive talons along with spiked up hair and a magenta skin suit, the thing that was once Mira shot out like lightning and joined the brawl.

"What the fuck…" I mutter, gaping at the new Mira as she fought with the men.

"Hey, Girlie," slurs out the voice of the obvious alcoholic, Cana, "funny to find you here," she says slinging her arm around my shoulders and holding up to me a bottle of Jack Daniels, "want some?"

"Cana! What did I tell you about drinking whiskey straight from the bottle!" scolds the familiar voice of Levy.

"Uh," Cana starts, furrowing her eyebrows in thought before shrugging, "I don't know, I can't remember." We both begin laughing and Levy just stands fuming as another girl who resembles Mira, except looks a little younger with shorter hair, comes over, wrapping her arms around Levy and resting her chin on top of Levy's head.

"Levy," she starts, "I think this is pointless of trying to tame Cana - she's always drunk, is she not?"

Levy sighs, "I know…"

We all begin laughing and when the girl sees me, her eyes brighten just like Mira's. She quickly unwraps herself from Levy and hugs me, squealing, "Oh my Mavis! You're okay! Yay!" she pulls away and puts me at arm's length, "I was one of the girls who helped you before! My names Lisanna, I'm sure you've already met my sister Mirajane, but hey, it's always good to have some background info, am I right?"

I smile, "I'm Lucy and you look exactly like your sister - it's crazy really! And um, I have a question," I lower my voice and whisper into her ear, "did every girl help me before?"

She laughs and shakes her head, "Nope, you've just been lucky enough to find all of the girls who did!" I nod my head somewhat relieved that it wasn't every single girl that saw me in my 'full glory' - it would make things a little awkward, in my opinion.

"Anyways," Cana butts in, "shall we 'make it rain'?"

The girls laugh before nodding and quickly dragging me with them towards another part of the bar where a pale girl with long, blue hair sat, sipping from a beer mug. Actually, everything about her seemed blue - her clothes, her eyes, her nails, it was quite comical if you think about it.

"Juvia!" Levy calls. Said girl turns around and automatically a smile spreads across her face.

"Hello!" She exclaims before turning her attention over to me, "You," she commands with a suspicious look painting her face, "Are you Juvia's love rival?"

I frown, "Uh…"

"Just say no," Lisanna whispers into my ear, "just trust me, say no and you'll get along."

"No." I bluntly reply, causing the girl to sigh in relief.

"Thank Mavis, Juvia thought she was going to have another rival for Gray-sama's heart," she breathes out before a relieved smile covers the once angry frown.

I smile back before whispering to Lisanna, "What is she talking about?"

"Juvia's already imprinted on her mate, Gray, but he still hasn't imprinted on anyone, so he can still go for anyone that perks his interest. It's been a long time since this has happened - that a mate chose someone else - so we aren't really sure what could happen, and I bet you Juvia doesn't want to find out." She explains into my ear.

I nod my head, not fully understanding, but I guess that would have to suffice for now. Lisanna and I quickly jump onto the conversation the others were having about Cana's drinking problem and I end up having to hold back the brunette from beating up Levy for taking her booze.

Of course, Cana is wearing heels and I am consequently barefoot, with nothing to protect me from the pointy piece of plastic to come raining down on my foot, causing me to let the beast free as I tend to my wound, and her to jump on top of Levy and start a full-on brawl.

Perverts nearby begin hooting and hollering and commenting things like, "Tackle her!" or "A little more to the left!" which did not end up well since the girls ended up banding together and beating the crap out of them as I just stayed on the side with a swollen foot.

I turn my attention away from the fight that was quickly turning into a slaughter, to a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see Erza.

_Erza_… feelings of anger and betrayal began to bubble up inside of me, but before I could 'unleash my fury', she looks me in the eyes and asks if she could talk to me. Something inside of me told me to let her talk, to not strangle this girl in front of me, to not tie her up and roast her over a fire and sacrifice her to Satan, but to listen to what the mother fucker had to say. I oblige and she licks her lips nervously before leading me outside onto one of the balconies overlooking the rainforest.

We stand at the ledge, both grasping the railing firmly until our knuckles turned white, and we just looked out and the view in complete silence, that is, until she breaks it.

"Look," she takes a deep breath, "I feel bad. I feel bad about making you stay here against you will, and that isn't right, but I need to follow the rules for the safety of my village, my family. And it's not that I think you're a bad person, trust me, that isn't even hinting at the truth, but I just can't take that chance of you accidentally spilling some information about us to anyone and then putting my family in danger. You understand, right?"

I look at the redhead and know exactly what she means, but it still doesn't mean I don't fully agree with her decision. Eventually I nod though, "Family's important."

She looks sadly at me, "So please understand why I made this decision, Lucy… and I still do hope we can be friends."

**888**

When I get back to group of girls I was now considering calling my 'friends', they're sitting at a table having the two old perverts, who I now know as Macao and Wakaba, get them drinks from the bar in sexy bunny costumes that were meant for girls. That's not disturbing at all.

"Look who's back! It's Lucy!" Cana yells with a chorus of drunken cheers from the other girls.

I raise my eyebrows, "How much did you guys drink while I was gone?"

Levy, whose cheeks were now bright red (and was the most conscious one besides Cana), holds up ten fingers to me. I frown, "Ten what?"

Cana smirks evilly, "Shots of my new best friend, Bacardi, after Jack left."

"Wow, uh, what should we do with these three, Cana?" I question, gazing at the now dozing triplets.

"Take embarrassing pictures of them on our phones to use when trying to blackmail them into something," she answers bluntly.

"Seriously?" She nods, "Geez, remind me to never get drunk around you."

She chuckles, "Aw, come on, drink all you want just don't get on my bad side! You'll be fine, don't worry."

I roll my eyes and before I knew it, Cana and I were both trying to convince someone to carry the drunkards to the infirmary. Eventually, after a lot of pleading and bribing, Cana and I got Natsu, Elfman - Mira and Lisanna's brother, and some guy named Gray to do it. The moment they were out of earshot, Cana quickly sat me down in the now almost empty guild at the bar where Mira was back to normal and trying to persuade the few costumers to leave and go home.

Cana quickly got out her cards from her furry, blue purse and gave them to me, "Quickly, we don't have much time until Natsu comes back. He doesn't like this stuff so that's why we couldn't do it this afternoon, but I still want to read your fortune, so please shuffle these cards quickly, okay?"

I nod and begin doing as told, when I was done she took them from me and began creating a cross with six of the cards and placed four in a vertical line on the side. "The Celtic Cross Spread," Cana announces its name, "it'll tell us your Situation, the Challenge, Root of the Reading, Past Influences, Present Self, the Near Future, Your Power in the Situation, Hopes and Fears, and the Outcome. Ready?" I nod my head, "Flip them over."

Gulping, I do just that, starting with the vertical line and then moving onto the cross, the entire time Cana never saying anything once. When I finish flipping all of the cards, they were a colorful mess of pictures, some happy looking, others gruesome, but both beautiful all the same. When I look up at Cana, her face is ashen and she seems frozen in her spot.

"Cana?" I ask only to get no reply, "Are you alright-"

"LUCY! WE'RE LEAVING!" I turn towards the sound of Natsu's voice on the other side of the room. He was making his way over to Cana and I and for some reason I had this gut feeling he shouldn't come over here - he shouldn't see the cards. Even though I didn't know what they meant or even if they told the truth, something about Cana's reaction to it… and even what she said before… I couldn't let him see the cards.

Steeling my resolve, I bid the frozen brunette a goodbye and meet with Natsu half-way across the room, not answering his questions as I loop our arms together and walk us out the guild doors.

**888**

**Nobody's POV**

Mirajane watched as Lucy and Natsu left the guild leaving her and Cana the only ones left. She had heard Lucy and Cana's entire conversation being practically right under their noses the entire time, and was unsure of what the cards meant herself. But she knew that Cana never acted like this over a Reading, and she was going to find out why.

"Cana?" Said girl sat motionless on the stool.

"Cana, what do the cards mean?" No reply. "Tell me, please."

Cana bites her lip and takes a deep breath, "The first card tells the situation, and the card is the Tower," Cana points to the card with a tower being struck by lightning and two people falling out, "a sudden change, so a sudden change in Lucy's life."

"Like staying here?" Mirajane asks.

Cana nods, "Like staying here.

"Now, the second card tells the challenge affecting the situation, or issue. The card she got was the Hanged Man," Cana points to a card where a man hung by his foot off a tree, "it basically means she doesn't have two feet on the ground."

"So, she's torn between two different things, basically?" Mirajane questions the brunette.

"Yup, you're right on the money. The third card represents the basis of the situation, and Lucy has the Batluer," pointing to the card with a wealthy man in front of a folding table painted on its surface, Cana continues, "a new beginning, most of the time.

"The forth card tells the past relevant to the situation. Here, we have Judgment," the card was decorated with a winged man holding a trumpet along with two men underneath him, "rebirth or change, though it's not a horrible card to have, it still makes me wonder why that's part of her past…

"Moving on, the fifth card signifies her present self, and this card here, is the Hermit," on the card was painted the picture of an old man clutching a lantern, "wisdom, contemplation, thought, and solitude.

"Now for the sixth card. This card says all about the near future, and Lucy got the Lovers-"

Mirajane squeals and rapidly claps her, "I like the sound of that!"

"-it stands for romance, yes Mira, but it also symbolizes that Lucy may need to get her priorities straight before she can move on, so calm your tits woman. We aren't that far yet.

"The seventh card stands for her power in the situation. Strength," Cana motions to a card decorated with a man and a lion on its face, "was the lucky card - the courage to face your fears, though not necessarily forcefully. Being calm and tolerant can also be the way of this card, though I'd pay big bucks to see the girl kick ass, I can tell you that much.

"The eighth card, the effects the people around her have on her. Almost like what her environment is. The card is the Wheel of Fortune," the card had a wheel turning counter clockwise with a few figures on it, "twists of fate and unexpected changes. Wonder why that is here…"

The two girls then began to think why unexpected changes would happen to them, until Cana has the idea that they 'all turn into beer and Lucy has to drink them all' to which Mirajane replies with, "Maybe in your fortune Cana."

"Anyways, this is where it starts getting a little more… _interesting_." Cana states as Mirajane just cocks an eyebrow at the brunette.

"The ninth card signifies Lucy's hopes and fears, and she got the Moon," the card had a woman holding a crescent moon in the palm of her hand painted on its front, "mystery, confusion, secrets, nothing is as it seems with this card and emotions run high. This can really mean anything, it can say it's a mystery that she fears or it's a mystery itself of what she fears or hopes for. This card can be very vague, so it's just so tough to understand it. But…

"The tenth card. The outcome of everything… and Lucy got Death." Mirajane gasps as Cana just shakes her head, holding up the card with the scythe grasped in a skeleton's hand for Mirajane to see. If there was one card Mirajane knew, it was Death. Sure it could mean a new beginning, but it can also mean something very dark and bruiting, possibly even what the card is named - Death.

Cana puts her head in her hands and groans, "I just don't get it… her fortune is more confusing than a Rubix Cube! I wish I knew what all of this meant… but I guess that's the 'fun' thing about fortunes. You don't know the entire story until you get to the end."

**Author's Note:**

**I'm trying hard to pick up the pace with this story since I feel like it's going so slow that it's not even interesting anymore, so this chapter sort of kick started that! Yay! Again, I'm sorry for the wait and if you're also following Waiting Here, expect the next chapter in about... a few days. The latest would be... Friday. Yeah, Friday. Hope you guys enjoyed and thanks for the great reviews!**

**Peace!**

**-idevoubooks**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: This has been edited, oh yes it has! I know it has because I spent a very long time (ten minutes) revising it!**

**I AM SO STUPID! OH YES I AM! PREACH IT, MY GOOD READERS! I am sooo retarded, my mother had me tested (not). **

**Anyways, I am retarded for two reasons. 1: I haven't updated in what feels like forever (so I'm sorry &amp; no, you can't throw tomatoes at me). &amp; 2:I USED MIRAJANE IN TWO DIFFERENT PLACES FOR TWO DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.**

**Okay, so remember when Lucy would talk about her friend Mirajane taking care of her sister and then Lucy MET THE SAME EXACT PERSON at Fairy Tail? Yeah, that was a mistake and if you thought I had some master plan that involved Mirajane being an evil twin, I am flattered that you thought I could come up with an amazing plot twist like that, but I didn't. So I'm sorry. I am just a horrible planner. **

**And now that new friend back home is Kinana, and don't worry I already edited the chapters before this to have the story make sense to new comers as well. And if you are a new comer and have no idea what I'm talking about... then forget I said anything. *wiggles fingers* This never happened...**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Seven:**

**Something New**

**One Week Later**

"NATSU!"

Over the past few days, I've learned that the only way to wake up Natsu, is to scream. And that's what I did just now. I screamed in his face so he could get up and _let go of me_. He always does this, says he'll sleep on the couch or whatever, and he does… before I fall asleep. When I wake up in the morning, the bastard has me cradled in his arms on the bed he said he'd let _me_ use.

"Five more minutes Luce," he mumbles to me before burrowing his face deeper into my lower back. Natsu currently had his arms around my waist in a tight embrace, trapping me to him in a way so I couldn't even try to shimmy out. I huff out an annoyed breath, crossing my arms over my chest as I glared down at him.

"Natsu…" I whine.

"Luce…" He whines into my lower back as he somehow manages to pull me even closer to him.

I place the heel of my palms on my eyes and sigh, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" He answers, his hot breath tickling the skin on my back that wasn't covered, making me unconsciously shiver.

"I don't know," I mutter, "molesting me?"

I feel his smile against my back and I roll my eyes at him before tugging on one of his cotton candy spikes, "Come on, Natsu… you need to let go at some point."

I watch as his head shakes back and forth in disagreement, his nose brushing against my back as he declares, "No I don't."

I click my tongue in thought, thinking of how I was going to get myself out of this situation. I decide to make an attempt to pry his hands off of me, but instead he just grabs my hands in his, "Nu-uh," he says as he intertwines our fingers together, "You're not getting out of this one."

I can feel the blush that was already on my face intense to a whole other level as I look down at our interlaced hands. He always made me feel this way, all embarrassed and stuff, but why he made my insides hurt was still a mystery to me.

I try to wiggle my hands out of his warm ones, managing to get a finger out, and stabbing my nail into his hand that he automatically retracts before coming back to grab my wrist again. I raise my hand into the air though, so he grabs nothing, and I do the same with my other hand, stabbing his and moving it out of harm's way.

Now that I have both of my hands, I grab his wrist of the arm that was draped over me and try to fling his arm off of my waist, managing to only get his arm an inch above me. That gave me enough room though, to roll away from him and crawl around his head onto the floor before he could do anything.

I stand and look over my shoulder to see Natsu giving me the evil eye as he lay on the bed with his arms crossed over his chest. I shrug at him with a smirk plastered all over my face, before I walk over to his dresser where I open my draw and get out a pair of jean shorts and a pink tank top. I then go across the hall to the bathroom to get changed.

I quickly get ready, shimmying into my outfit before stuffing my pajamas into the hamper in the corner of the bathroom. I quickly brush my teeth and comb out my hair with a brush Mirajane gave me, prior to putting my hair into two, low pigtails. I walk out of the bathroom and strap on the pair of combat boots Cana gave me, slipping my army knife into the left boot. I grab my bag from the vacant bedroom before heading downstairs to where Natsu and Happy were bickering on the couch.

Happy was a furry, blue cat that loved to tease me. Yes, he was a cat, but he was a little different with his own magic running through his veins.

Happy could talk and fly.

"Lushi," the blue feline calls to me, "tell Natsu that I'm smarter than him!"

"But you're not!" Natsu retorts back.

I roll my eyes at them and continue over to the kitchen where my 'elixir of life' waited in the coffee maker. I open up one of the wooden cabinets and take out a red mug which I pour my coffee into, mixing it with milk and sugar. I take a sip of the warm drink and turn around to face the two idiots who were still arguing about who was smarter. I sigh, _they're both retards…_

"You're a cat!" Natsu argues.

Happy scrunches up his nose in disgust, "And you're a Natsu!"

Natsu raises his eyebrows, "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"HEY!" I bark, causing them both to turn around and face me, "You're both dumb asses, so I don't get why you're arguing about who's the bigger idiot! It's childish!"

They both stare at me in disbelief before frowning and whispering to each other, never taking their eyes off of me.

"I think Lushi is upset," Happy whispers to Natsu.

Natsu nods, "Yeah, I think so, too."

Happy leans closer to Natsu, "Do you think it's because she gained a couple of pounds-"

"I can hear you, you know…" I mumble darkly, causing them both to shiver in fright. That cat was _so_ going to get it one of these days…

I scowl before placing my mug in the sink and walk towards the front door, standing in front of it with my arms crossed over my chest. I hear Natsu get up from the couch and open the door for me, bidding Happy a goodbye as we walked outside into the morning light.

Natsu and Erza had made the security of Natsu's house a little more upgraded, considering they thought I could run away at any second, so they made it that the only one who could open the front door at all be Natsu. So if I wanted to get out of the house, Natsu had to open the door for me and vice versa. Sort of weird, but it worked for them.

It was still hard for me to see Erza in the more friendly way, but regardless I was making progress with her as 'acquaintances'. We actually greet each other now when we see each other in town. It also turned out that Erza was friends with my friends, Levy, Cana, Mira, Juvia, and Lisanna, so we were sort of forced to hang out together anyways.

Every day I've had Natsu give me reports of how my sister was doing, and they all seemed pretty realistic. She went to school on the days she was supposed to, and he even told me the correct date of when she ended school, two days ago on June 28. It was still a mystery to me of how he knew all of this, but as long as I got what information I needed, I really didn't care about how he got it, but even now I know it can't last forever…

We continue to walk to the guild in silence, taking in the quiet morning and observing the soundless birds that flew around. The river was churning away as silently as a river could and I felt as if the loudest thing in the entire village in that moment was my boots slapping against the dirt floor.

The morning sun rose a little bit higher in the sky as time went on and I could see a few people walking out of their houses towards the market, where they began to set up. We walked through the relatively soundless market and made our way through the twisting and turning streets that led us to the guild. We walked through the large double doors and were the only ones there besides a couple others - the drunks who stayed overnight and the early birds along with Mirajane.

Natsu quickly excuses himself and walks off towards the back of the bar where the practically hidden corridor was. _He's probably off to see Master Makarov… again._

Every single day Natsu would vanish for a little while, sometimes a couple of minutes and other times a couple of hours, and he would go to see the Master. I'd always ask him what they talked about or if something was wrong, but he never answered me, always changing the subject. Sure, it ticked me off, but I tried my best to understand that some things were private or personal… though I was still pissed off either way.

I click my tongue in annoyance as I watch him disappear behind the threshold of the hallway and make my way towards the bar, sitting down at one of the stools at the very end. Mirajane comes on over, humming her usual happy tune, and slides to me a glass of orange juice that I gingerly take a sip of as the barmaid starts up a conversation with me.

"So Lucy," she starts, a mischievous look adorning her face, "did you ever-"

"Yo Mira," we both turn to see that the one who cut her off was Gray. The dark haired dragon held up a piece of paper with the words, 'HELP: CORRUPTED CAVE', written across the top with a small paragraph that gave a location and a small description of what the 'Corrupted Cave' was underneath it. On the bottom of the page was written, 'REWARD: 250,000 J'. "I'm taking this job, okay?"

Mirajane gave him an approving nod and Gray quickly takes his leave, marching out the guild doors with a blue haired stalker following in his pursuit.

I furrow my eyebrows and turn back to the white haired girl, asking, "What's a 'job'?"

She giggles as she wipes the counter, "Oh right, you don't know what a job is! I always forget that you just came here not that long ago! Anyways, a job is a request placed in by the locals that is pinned up on the board over there," Mirajane points to the other side of the hall behind the bar, and sure enough there was a corkboard filled with the papers. "We get to choose which job we want to take and get rewards for it, which help the people who do the jobs, as well as the village, get some money."

I nod my head in comprehension before I remember one tiny detail, "Wait, but how does that work if you guys can't be seen by humans?"

"Well, we do it anonymously." Mirajane explains, "Humans, also known as the locals in the area, know about mythical creatures, being tormented by them every day. So when they need help, they turn to the wizards, werewolves, and merpeople, sending in these requests to them. Most of them they can handle, but the ones that are just too out of their league, they donate to us. After we finish a job, they collect the reward and send it over to us."

I raise one of my eyebrows, remembering one certain group Natsu mentioned to me before, "What about the vampires? Don't they get requests?"

Mirajane sighs, "No, they don't… they're too violent and blood thirsty… no human dares to make contact with them in fear of being eaten alive."

I cringe at the thought, "Is that why you don't do trade with them?"

Mirajane nods, "We don't want to be involved with beings like that. We are a peaceful village, or as peaceful as you can get with a bunch of rowdy dragons, but we do not believe in killing for no reason, and that's what the vampires do, and that's why they only trade with Sabertooth…"

I narrow my eyes at her, "What do you mean? And aren't you both at war with each other, too?"

Mirajane nervously glances around the room and bites her bottom lip before leaning in closer to me, saying in a low, barely audible voice, "Sabertooth… is not like us. They live in barbaric times, use barbaric ways, they are still living in the past. The way their Master treats them… it's as if he's the King. Everything there is horrible and everyone lives in poverty, and he likes it that way. He has different levels of superiority depending on what your magic is, but most are considered weaklings in his mind. And if you lose a fight… let's just say you don't want that."

I shiver, "Is that why you're at war?"

She nods, "But trust me, there's even more to that story."

I gulp and she just sighs, standing straight again as she begins to clean the bar's counter. I watch her as she silently makes drinks for people, not bothering to hum her normal song._ A job, huh? A little different from the states, considering it's done anonymously…_

I frown, "Hey Mira?"

She gives me a curious look, "Yes?"

"How do you think I can see you guys?" I can feel my frown deepen as I think more in depth about my question, "I mean, I'm human, and humans can't see you guys, so how do you think I can see you?"

It's silent for a few moments, but then Mirajane's bubbly laugh breaks it, "I honestly have no idea, but I have a feeling it's because you're special."

I gaze up at her and raise an eyebrow, "'Special'?"

She snorts, "What? You are special!"

I shake my head at her as a grin spreads across my face and I begin to laugh along with her. Ever since I've come here, I've had a ton of questions. Some kept me up at night, and others were just pushed to the back of my mind, never to be asked again, so it was almost like a relief to just laugh at one of them for once.

I quickly muffle my giggles and sneak a glance at the pin board. _I wonder… _"Mira, do you think _I _can do a job?"

Mirajane smiles as she takes away my glass of orange juice, "I don't see why not! You are a part of the village now, aren't you? I would just pass it by Natsu just to be safe - he's very protective of his family… especially you."

I smile bashfully at Mira, feeling my face beginning to get flushed, and nod my head at her before hearing a crash sound behind me followed by the hollers of a few of the guys. _Speak of the Devil…_

I slowly get up and turn around to see a small brawl playing out, with the person in questioning in the midst of it all. I calmly walk over and train my eyes on his pink head, waiting for my opening to strike out and pull him out of the fight. It comes when he moves back to land a punch on Elfman. I act quickly and grab his arm he was about to throw the blow with, causing his tensed muscles to soften on contact. His head whips around to see me and he raises a curious eyebrow my way.

I drag him away from the fight where they were just beginning to pick up the chairs surrounding them and smacking them against each other like they were pillows, not blocks of wood. I sweetly smile up at him before letting the words roll off my tongue, "Can I do one of the requests?"

At first, he's surprised, his onyx eyes wide with shock, but then it quickly melts into disapproval. "No," he answers straightforwardly.

"Please?" I ask, batting my eyelashes at him.

He glares at me, "No."

I pout, "Why not?"

He scowls, "Because, they're not meant for humans to do - and definitely not alone."

_Alone…_ I mischievously smile, "Who said I was doing it alone?"

He gives me this doubtful look before saying, "Who would possibly do it with you?"

I look up at him with the best, fake-hurt expression I can come up with, "You mean you wouldn't do it with me?"

His eyes widen dramatically as he stares down at me and I can practically feel the guilt coming off of him. _Gotcha!_ "I never said that-"

"So you'll do one with me?" I inquire, knowing that no matter what he says, he's already fallen into my trap.

"Well, I never said that either-"

"Aw! Come on, Natsu!" I playfully tug on his arm, "It shouldn't be anything you can't handle! Unless," I raise an accusing eyebrow at him, "you're afraid."

"I am not afraid!" he counters.

I shrug as I begin to tug him towards Mirajane, who was watching my plan play out from a far, "Then let's do one!"

"Luce…" he growls.

I turn to face him and smile from ear to ear, "It'll be fun! An adventure! Come on, I feel like we haven't done anything exciting in days!"

He glares down at me, searching my eyes for any signs of dishonesty or any unsaid plots, before sighing in defeat, "Fine," he groans. I begin to cheer until he briskly cuts me off, "but, I choose the job, okay?"

I quickly nod my head and he just walks away to where the jobs were pinned up. I begin to do a little victory dance until I get a tap on my shoulder, and turn to see a wide eyed Mira.

"Wow, no one's ever gotten Natsu to change his mind so easily!" She gushes, "You must be real special to him…"

I roll my eyes and slap her arm, "Shut up…"

She just laughs before clapping her hands together, "I almost forgot!"

Mirajane quickly ducks under the counter only to come back up moments later with a thick, brown leather whip with a black grip. She giddily comes around the bar and clips the whip to my belt.

She pats my head and grins, "In case that knife won't cut it."

I smile and hug the girl, "Thank you! I haven't gotten a gift in a long time, but there's one thing," I pull away from her and scratch the back of my neck, embarrassed, "how do I use it?"

Mira giggles, "Oh that's easy! Just pretend the whip is an extension of your arm, so if you want to hit or grasp something your arm can't get to, your whip can with a lot more force."

"Huh, thanks Mira!" I beam up at her, letting my hand rest on the whip's cool leather.

She smiles at me as Natsu comes over and shows the request to Mira, "We're taking this one, okay?"

Mirajane nods and Natsu grabs my arm, dragging us out of the guild and towards the jungle.

**Mirajane's POV**

_I can't believe Natsu chose that mission… poor girl will never want to do one again._

**Author's Note:**

**Yay! I'm getting this thing moving! Next chapter will be satisfying, (hopefully) and I hope this was okay for now! Again, sorry for the wait, and if you're following my other stories, Waiting Here is up next for an update! Please leave a review, they brighten up my day, and remember, constructional criticism is welcome! They help me improve which means better chapters for you! (And yes, I have noticed this was a filler chapter, but I needed to introduce the next part of the story somehow!) Have a great day, guys!**

**Peace!**

**-idevourbooks**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

**Phew! Finally finished! Okay, I am so sorry for the long wait, I have no excuses besides the fact that you guys should check out my new stories!(Seriously, check them out! XD) Yes, I am being serious Max. No, you can't marry a broom. I'm sorry. **

**Okay! Well, enjoy and... I was feeling TROLLY. **

**So sorry.**

**...**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Eight:**

**Why do these things always happen to me?**

From the moment my foot crossed the invisible boundary separating the village from the jungle, I knew it was going to be a long walk. We trekked through the muddy ground, sometimes even having to walk around places where the mud was so thick and deep, that it was actually quicksand. We spent what seemed like hours just weaving our way through the trees whose roots were above the ground, making crisscrossing patterns like a spider web, and sometimes we even had to climb over the boulders that were randomly placed around the jungle.

The silence that fell over us was unnerving, but neither of us thought about it as we swatted at the swarms of mosquitos we passed through. Natsu tried his best to navigate us around them, using his heightened hearing and sight to find the spots where the crowd of the flying insects was thinnest, though we were still bombarded by the miniature demons.

Under the canopy the trees made for us, it was dark. Dark, damp, and loud. I swear to God, I think every organism in that damned jungle was making some kind of noise, whether it was clicking, buzzing, growling, or screeching, they were all making an annoying racket that filled in for our lost conversation. The thick air clung onto Natsu and I as we made our way through the dimly lit maze, causing us to both sweat bullets.

I can feel my clothes sticking to my body and my satchel would try to slide off of my shoulder, making me finally wear it as a cross body. When Natsu would help me over boulders, I could feel his palms were just as sweaty as mine and then I didn't feel that bad about feeling as if my muscles were on fire.

Natsu was suffering just as much as me.

It was when I had fallen for the third time that was when I asked Natsu if we could stop and rest. He just ignores me and keeps on climbing over another boulder, reaching down to help me up. I take his hands and he pulls me up, our eyes meeting for a brief moment. His onyx eyes seem troubled with something, and I can feel my eyes widen slightly in surprise. I open my mouth to say something to him, but he was already on the ground. I sigh and slide off of the boulder, following the pink haired boy.

We kept this up for a long time, me saying something every now and then, while Natsu just stayed silent. I was starting to get worried, Natsu had never stayed this quiet for so long. I begin to start asking questions, but he remains mute, never uttering a word.

It feels like I'm talking to a wall. I'm trying so hard to get him to notice me, asking him a million of questions with my voice rising with each one I ask. He was just ignoring me! Every single that came out of my mouth, was probably like an annoying fly buzzing around him, and he just shook it off! What an-

Suddenly, Natsu stops and puts his hand up, "Shut up," he whispers.

I was taken aback before I catch a glimpse of his searching eyes, "What is it?" I ask, my own eyes surveying the area around us for any signs of danger.

His face remains unreadable and he shrugs, "Nothing, I just wanted you to shut up."

I can feel my anger boiling inside of me get a little too hot, causing me to jump on top of Natsu and scream, "YOU ASSHOLE!"

Then, we're rolling around on the ground and are suddenly rolling down a hill, me cussing my head off while Natsu was yelling about what an idiot I was.

"I'M THE IDIOT?!" I howl.

"YEAH!" he hollers into my face as we tear through vines that were in our way, continuing to roll down the hill.

"HOW?!" I bark at him, our eyes locking.

He scowls before spitting out, "YOU'RE THE REASON WE'RE ROLLING DOWN A HILL, NO?!"

I swear to God I think I was going to murder this man. "YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIT!" I scream.

Natsu just looks at me and I glare at him, his eyes that were once so angry seemed to hold something else in them… something that looked like agony… he begins to turn a light shade of green and his cheeks puff out. _Don't tell me…_

"YOU'RE GOING TO PUKE?!"

Natsu moans and tightens his grip on me, his head drooping down to rest on my cleavage. "DON'T REST YOUR HEAD THERE!"

If we currently weren't rolling down a hill, getting bruises and scratches all over our bodies, I would've kicked Natsu in the face. But since we were rolling around on the ground, with no way to stop, I guess I'll have to kick him later.

We reach a part of the hill where it suddenly tilts up, and then there's nothing after that. _A… cliff?!_ It looks like I was the only one who spotted it since I begin panicking, trying to get my shoulders out of Natsu's grasp so I could somehow stop us, but his grip was like iron, strong and tight as if he was never going to let go.

I manage to sneak my hands out and I begin to desperately claw at the ground whenever I can. My fingers start to sting and begin to bleed, but I continue to try and grasp for something. As the peak draws closer I know we were going to roll off of it, so I grab Natsu's head with my bloody hands and hold him against my body, hoping I would provide some kind of shield for the sick man. We make air and I squeeze Natsu closer to my body, the man on top of me while I was on the bottom. I shut my eyes tightly and scream, "WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?!"

In that moment, I didn't care if Natsu's face was buried into my cleavage or that his hands were currently groping my ass, nor that he was on the verge of puking, all I cared about was surviving. I had no idea what was below us, but as I waited for the solid ground to crush my bones, I realized it never came. And the wind that was whipping through my clothes wasn't because I was falling, but… _flying?_

I crack an eye open and gaze behind me before quickly opening both of my eyes, both widening at what I was seeing. Trees passed by in a blur of greens and some stood out compared to the others, either being taller or lighter in comparison. I can see the blue sky above me and wince when I pass through a cloud, until I remember clouds weren't even solid and laugh. I gaze around me and smile as I can finally see the sun, and even though it wasn't that high in the sky - marking that noon had already passed - I was still grateful to see the large star. I close my eyes and lean my head back, allowing my hair to splay across my face as well as whip through the wind enveloping me. I sigh in content before hearing someone chuckle from below me.

I whip my head down to see Natsu, no longer green, gazing up at me from my cleavage with a smirk plastered onto his face. I can feel my face turn beet red as I remember that his hands were currently groping my ass and I still had my hands interwoven into his hair, holding him to my chest. I quickly let go and begin squirming around in his grasp, causing Natsu to almost drop me before wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him.

"Better?" He asks when his face was mere centimeters away from mine.

"Better," I mumble, before averting my gaze away from his intense, onyx eyes to behind him, where I see protruding from his shoulder blades massive, scaly, scarlet wings. The scales were a dark red with gold tinting the tips of them, and covered the bones and muscles underneath.

"Wings…?" I say in awe, an eyebrow arching a tad bit as a question begins to plague my mind.

Natsu nods, "Yup," he brings them up before pushing them back down, his wings capturing a ton of air and pushing the air down as he launches himself forward.

"How…?" I ask, still gawking at the massive wings. The wingspan of them must have been at least three of me, so sixteen feet give or take.

Natsu rolls his eyes at me, but I push down the urge to slap him for doing so and allow him to talk, "I'm a dragon, remember?"

I nod my head, "Right, but… I never see you guys with them. Why is that?"

Natsu sighs as he begins to descend back down to the ground, "Raven Tail," he numbly states.

I feel myself go into a state of shock at his words and I can practically feel the buzz of thoughts overthrowing over my mind. _Raven Tail are vampires… allies with Sabertooth… but_ _what…?_

"Raven Tail?" I repeat slowly.

Natsu nods as his wings disappear and we land on solid ground, "They weren't always our enemies. We actually used to be on good terms even though we weren't exactly friends, but all of that changed when they became allies with Sabertooth. Sabertooth… is not something you want to be a part of. They are… _different _than us." Bits and pieces of what Mira told me earlier come back to mind and I begin to piece everything together as Natsu goes on.

"They bribe to get what they want, and everything is about power, not family. I've heard their leader even punished his own daughter for not being powerful enough. Their leader decided to offer Raven Tail something they never had. Money. Power. Strength. But of course everything comes with a price with Sabertooth." Natsu pauses and his eyes become glazed over. He gulps before continuing, "That price was to capture those of Fairy Tail."

I feel my mouth become dry as I stare up at Natsu, his eyes blank. _Natsu…_

"And then Raven Tail would search for us. Never knowing where our village was located, they found us when using our magic, transforming into our true forms, or even flying in the sky. They would capture us, and bring us to Sabertooth where we'd be kept in cells, only to become slaves. But then there were a few of us who didn't become slaves. Instead, they'd be brought to the middle of the town where all of the Sabers would gather, and be their entertainment as they were executed."

I can feel my eyes widen in horror as I stare up at Natsu, "How do you know all of this, Natsu?" I hoarsely whisper.

He looks down at me and mumbles, with sadness laced in every word, "I went through it."

I bite my lip before hugging Natsu, feeling the shaking boy eventually wrap his arms around me. "I'm so sorry…" I mutter into his chest.

He rests his chin on top of my head and I snuggle into his chest, content until I feel him do the oddest thing.

Sniff me.

I scrunch up my face and look up at him, "Why are you smelling me?" I ask, smiling out of disbelief.

"You smell good," He mumbles, resting his forehead against mine.

I blush a little and place my hands on either side of his face, "You are one strange man, Natsu Dragneel."

He chuckles before plucking my hands off of his face and frowning, "You're bleeding."

Before I can say anything, Natsu was already licking my cuts, which causes me to blush a radiant red as I tug my hands out of his. And when I ask why he did that, he simply answers with a mischievous smirk.

**888**

Standing in front of a large, murky lake I really began to wonder what our job could possibly have us do. It looked like any other lake in the Amazons, vacant and disgusting, and as the toe of my boots skimmed the water, it rippled like it was supposed to. So why were we here?

I turn to face Natsu who was gazing out at the lake intently, seeming as if amazed by every wrinkle that disturbed the lake's calm surface, and utter, "What exactly are we supposed to do?"

Natsu snaps out of his reverie and whirls his head around to see me. "Oh," he says, with a cunning gleam in his eyes, "just do what we'd do on any other job."

I open my mouth to ask yet another question, but just as I was about to say something, a loud, throaty roar rips through the air, and I spin around to find something I could never even dream up.

Emerging from the lake, was a monstrous, slimy, pale creature that looked a lot like an overgrown eel, with glassy eyes on either side of its head. Eight large, green tentacles rose from under the water's surface with bright blue suction cups the size of dinner plates, attached onto the slippery limbs. I gawk at how enormous the creature was, and it seems to notice as a wicked grin spreads across its face, every single one of its yellowing, needle-like teeth on display along with the pieces of meat caught in between.

I steal a glance at Natsu and our eyes meet for a split second. My hand slowly rests on the whip Mirajane gave me, as a sign to Natsu to get ready, and his eyes turn into slits in response. I had never really done anything like this before, but having lived in the dumps of big city for the majority of my life, I knew trouble when I saw it, and I usually had to handle it on my own. Sure, this trouble might have been a_ little_ different, but it's sort of the same concept - fight or die.

I stare at the creature in front of us, analyzing its every move as it observes ours. Out of the corner of my eye I can see one of its tentacles twitching and I become very conscious of the possibility of it striking, but I keep my eyes trained on the creature's ugly face, trying to seem as if I didn't notice it.

I slowly begin to wrap my hand around the grip of my whip, when the tentacle that was twitching suddenly shoots out, its target dead set on me. I swiftly jump out of the way at the last second, barely making it as I tumble onto the ground. While still on the ground, the tentacle tries to jab at me again, and I roll out of the way only to see inches from my face, the tentacle practically burrowed underneath the ground where my stomach would've been before.

My eyes widen in fear and I duck my head when yet another blow comes at where my head was moments ago, except this strike wasn't given by the tentacle right next to me, but by another one. _Two at the same time?!_ I drag my legs up to my chest when another tentacle comes whistling towards me, making the sand where my knees were fly into the air. _THREE?!_

"_Natsu!_" I scream, yelping when another tentacle comes crashing down onto the other side of me. _FOUR?! I'm surrounded!_

"_What?!_" I hear him yell back.

"_HELP!_" I shriek as I stare at another one of the tentacles, it lazily snaking its way down towards me.

"_I'm a little busy right now!_" He calls back, his sentence quickly followed up by an earth shaking boom.

"_Not as busy as me!_" I holler back, my eyes still trained nervously on the blue and green limb drawing closer and closer to me.

I try to think of how I could possibly fight back, considering my arms were pinned to my sides, but instincts beat my mind to it and before I know it, my left foot was kicking the squishy arm. It recoils and I think I've done it, until the tentacle zooms back towards me and wraps itself tightly around my ankle - that was thankfully covered by my leather boot - and jolts backwards, sending me flying off of the ground.

Hanging upside down by my ankle, I can feel my knife beginning to slide out of my boot and my satchel tries to choke me, leaving me in a horrible position. I try to shake off the panic settling under my skin as I hastily glance around me to spot Natsu, facing off with three of the neon tentacles and even the ugly thing in charge of all of this. I watch as Natsu fights off the tentacles that were jabbing at him, and the eel like head begins to advance on him from behind. I realize what they were doing, causing a distraction and then attacking from behind, and act quickly.

I fumble with my whip and when I finally get a firm grip on it with my left hand, I decide to try lashing out at the eel head, failing the first couple times as the whip doesn't go anywhere.

I grit my teeth as I realize my time was running out, "Come on," I grumble.

I try again, yet the whip doesn't move the way I want it to. Panic and frustration begin to bubble back up to the surface of my mind and I feel as if all of my options were gone. _Why isn't it working? What am I doing wrong? Why can't I figure this_ _out in such a jeopardizing moment?_

"… _pretend the whip is an extension of your arm…"_

I feel as if my prayers were answered as my alarmed mind finally remembers what Mira told me before.

_Mira… thank you!_

I gulp and do just what she told me to do, moving the whip with the same momentum as my arm as I lash out at the eel head again to see the whip get much closer to my target. I try again and again before finally landing a solid blow on the eel head. A smile of victory begins to spread across my face until I remember that I actually _did_ hit the eel head - and if it wasn't paying attention to Natsu anymore…

A loud, irritated howl travels through the air and up to me, where I take notice to a certain pale, huge eel darting towards me.

Well fuck.

"EEEEK!" I shriek before feeling something slip out of my boot and into my hands. _What the… A MIRACLE!_ I gape in wonder at my army knife currently grasped in my right hand, but I barely have any time to thank anyone as another ear-splitting roar rumbles through the air and I quickly reach for my left ankle with my knife still clutched in hand.

I pull my arm back and round it up for a swing as I throw my hand forward, the knife catching on the tentacle and I deftly cut through the flesh, causing black blood to spout out everywhere as I begin my fall down. I catch a glance at the enraged eel trying to stop the blood from pouring out of its wound, and I smirk before taking a deep breath as I feel the murky, warm water envelope me.

I quickly recover from the impact and begin to swim back to the surface with my weapons still clutched in my hands, where I find black blood spreading throughout the lake along with a furious looking eel head whose attention was solely on me. I gulp and slowly start to swim away, but that seems to set it off as it begins to advance towards me.

"EEEEK!" I shriek and I rapidly begin to swim to shore like there was no tomorrow, knowing the fugly creature wasn't far behind.

_Crap! Crap! CRAP! Why do these things always happen to ME?!_

I finally claw onto shore and stand up without missing a heartbeat as I begin to run towards the brilliant flames of the one and only, Natsu.

"_NATSU!_"I screech, causing said man to turn around.

He opens his mouth to say something, but I will never know what he tried to say as a wrathful bellow cuts him off. I practically jump out of my skin before running faster - thanking God my legs weren't that short - and I continue my feverish dash towards the pink headed pyro. I finally reach him and dart behind Natsu, clutching onto his arm as I peek over his shoulder at the irked eel.

Natsu gazes down at me in shock, "What happened?"

I shakily smile, "I told you I was busy, didn't I?"

Natsu guffaws before turning to face the creature glaring holes through Natsu to me. Natsu narrows his eyes and says under his breath, "Get back."

I do as told and watch in fear as the eel's glassy eyes follow me, watching my every move. I gulp and tighten my grip on my knife and whip, up to the point where my knuckles turn white. As I stare into the eel's pale eyes, I spot from the corner of my vision fire. I tear my gaze away from the eel and stare at where the fire was coming from to see Natsu, fully engulfed in the radiant flames. They danced across his entire body, and licked at the ground where he stood, causing huge black marks to blemish the earth, burning it.

I stare in awe as Natsu takes a step forward and the flames grow even larger, and with every step he takes it's as if he's adding more fuel to his own fire. He keeps on walking, every time one step closer to the eel-like creature whose attention was trained on him. It seemed confused as to why Natsu was getting closer to it, but when Natsu was right in front of the eel's massive mouth, he does something that was definitely crazy, yet somehow effective.

I can barely process Natsu's fast movements as his arm reels back and suddenly whips upwards, his fire-engulfed fist making contact with the bottom of the eel's chin, causing the large head to jerk backwards. Natsu then takes a deep breath before exhaling a column of brilliant, red-orange flames directed at the head, evidently harming the creature out as the head rests on the ground, breathing heavily.

I can feel my eyes widen as my grip on my whip and knife loosen. _He did that… all_ _by himself… just how powerful are dragons?_ I stumble over to where Natsu was as he had his hand on the eel's head, and catch the last of his mumbled sentence.

"-_a nova vida em paz. Obrigado._" Natsu then opens his eyes and the eel gazes into them before it does a small nod, and stops breathing, dead.

I gape in shock at what I just saw and watch as Natsu effortlessly, yet gently, pushes the eel into the lake, but the moment the head touches the water, it disintegrates into ash. The wind carries it away and the water soaks up the eel's remains of ash, and now, it's very quiet.

I stare in a mixture of worry and wonder at Natsu who gazes out at the lake, his eyes hard and sorrowful. I bite my lip, wondering what I should do, but my body moves without my consent, dropping my weapons at my feet and stride over to stand behind Natsu. I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his back, hugging him from behind. Eventually, I feel him place his big, warm hands on top of mine and I sigh in relief as I intertwine our fingers.

"What?" Natsu questions.

"I'm just relieved we didn't die," I mutter into his back.

I can feel him smile from here and I allow a small smirk to creep onto my face as well as I snuggle into him.

"We should get going. It's getting dark, so that means no funny business, okay? We need to get to the village as quickly as possible," He commands in a soft voice.

I hum in agreement before unwrapping myself from him and walking over to my weapons lying on the ground, clipping my whip back onto my belt and sliding my knife back into my boot. I turn around to face Natsu and nod at him, following him back towards the jungle. I steal one last glance at the lake and gaze for a few moments at the sun lowering itself under the horizon, wondering if we could make it back to the village in time since it took us so long to get here.

I shove those thoughts to the back of my mind though, as I turn back around to see the watchful, onyx eyes of Natsu observing me. I return his gaze and his eyes flicker into slits for the briefest moment, before he blinks and the go back to normal. He then turns around and I follow the pink haired man into the jungle, trusting him to guide us back home.

**888**

Something wasn't right. It was quiet, too quiet, and what was worse was that it was dark, practically pitch black. I felt as if I was suffocating in the heat and I could barely see Natsu. I actually had to call out for him once or twice to make sure he was still there before he decided to hold my hand so I wouldn't get lost, even though I still felt like I was.

I hear something rustle from above us and glance at Natsu, "Natsu…" I whisper, watching said boy stop and scan the trees.

Suddenly, his head stops moving and he narrows his eyes before opening them wide, "Run." He mutters, shoving me behind him as his eyes turn into slits and fire begins dancing in his palms, "Run!"

I almost do as he says until I glance around and find a ton of eyes with the fire reflected in them gathered around us. _He can't possibly…_

"What about you?" I fearfully ask as I place my hand on his shoulder.

He shrugs off my hand and his ferocious gaze is promptly trained on me, "I'll be fine! Just run!"

I wince at his harsh tone and reluctantly oblige, choosing a random direction before running off. I tear through stray vines and larger than life leaves as I run, but I have this gut feeling this was the wrong thing to do. That I should be helping Natsu, not cowering away in fear.

I bite my lip and whip around to glance at where Natsu was, only to see that a ton of people were bombarding him as he fell to the ground. I stare at where he was in worry - debating whether or not I should go back and help - before I spot his signature, red flames fry through a good amount of the people and he shoots back up, skillfully fighting. I let out a small sigh of relief before turning back around and continuing to run.

_What was going on? Who were those people? What did they want from Natsu?_ A million questions begin to surface in my mind and I have no idea how to answer them. I could always feed myself lies, but that'll never work out since they're my thoughts, not reality - not the truth.

I jump over a fallen tree and continue to run in the darkness. I can barely see, but I force my other senses to work as I push myself forward, not stopping until I hear something that pierces through all of my senses with fear. A giggling.

A high-pitched, feminine giggle that sounded too odd to ever be normal in a rain forest. I eye all around me, but it seemed like the laughing was coming from everywhere. I rest my hand on my whip and continue searching, until right in front of me, a woman lands on the ground. She had on a short, red dress that showed off her tattooed cleavage, and her bare feet were dirty and caked with mud. She had her auburn hair pulled back into two braids and her red eyes were conniving and plotting.

"Blondie~"

And with that, everything went black.

**Author's Note:**

**Told you I was feeling TROLLY! Anyways, I have a question:**

**Who do you guys think those people were that just raided Natsu and Lucy?**

**Leave your answer in the comments (or reviews, I really have no idea what to call it at this point)! I think I'll find your answers interesting! XD**

**Anywho, please review because 1) I am an old hag who'll die without them (just kidding - I'm not that old) and 2) they really make my day! Your reactions are awesome and thank you to those of you who take the time to brighten up an old lady's day! GOD BLESS YOU! XD**

**Peace!**

**-idevourbooks**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

**OH MY GOD IT HAS BEEN SO LONG. I am sooooo sorry for not updating! But it's been because of a common enemy - SCHOOL! LET US BAND TOGETHER AND STOP IT! No, don't do that, just find it in you hearts, *sniffle sniffle* to forgive an old lady. **

**Anyways, this chapter is a little bloody to give you the heads up, so...**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Nine:**

**Capture**

_Red._

_A deep, dark, horrific scarlet._

_It douses the ceiling._

_As well as the walls that appear to cave in on me._

_Everything is red._

_In the corner of my groggy mind I think I hear a deep voice screaming my name… screaming for me to get up… telling me that everything was going to be okay through desperate sobs._

_I feel their warm, muscular pair of arms around me, cradling my head in their lap. Their large, rough hands were pressing down hard on my chest, but not hard enough to hurt me. I look up at the person, making out his cotton candy locks that were tousled on top of his head and his worried, onyx eyes staring back at me. _

_**Natsu…**_

_I feel myself get lost in his black pools for eyes, feeling like I was floating through space, with nothing tying me down to the real world. A sharp pain suddenly stabs through me and I feel my chest throb._

_I tear my gaze away from Natsu's captivating eyes and peer down at myself to finally see what he was fussing over. His hands were in the way, but I manage to gently push them off of my abundant chest with my little energy that was dwindling by the second. I feel a gasp escape me lips as I stare in fear. _

_My pale, blue tank top was stained with scarlet for my chest had a deep wound blossoming, probably puncturing my dying heart. I touch it with shaky hands and feel the warm red liquid stick to my pale fingers. I then avert my gaze to Natsu, who was whispering my name, his tears falling onto my face like raindrops plopping on dying flowers._

_My ears begin to ring until I gradually can't hear even the rustle of my own blonde hair slowly being pushed away from my pale, tear stained face by his warm, calloused hands, but somehow I know he was sobbing for me to stay conscious, his onyx eyes telling me everything I needed to know. _

_With the little energy I still have in me, I raise my arm – that at the moment was as heavy as lead – and reach for Natsu's sorrowful, battered face. I look at where I thought my hand was at, but was shocked to find nothing there. _

_My fingers were completely gone and it automatically clicks in my head the fact that I was slowly disappearing. Natsu also notices and I can tell he's beginning to become more frantic. He begins to look around wildly, his black orbs huge with fear and desperation._

_I surprise even myself as I part my chapped, bleeding lips to say a simple phrase that had more meaning than anything else I could have said in that moment. _

"_It's okay."_

_Those two words held everything, my worries, my happiness, my memories, and my feelings towards the boy in front of me... who for some reason I can't remember their name any more. Love, familiarity, joy, worry, and most of all, my hope that we would meet again soon, even though I can't remember who this stranger was, who for some reason I felt so connected to. _

_I feel their arms tighten around me and I feel their gaze lock onto my eyes. My lifeless ones saunter for a bit, taking in the fact that I was dying and disappearing into thin air, before I begin to lose circulation in my legs._

_My eyes whip back to the black orbs – shiny due to the tears still welling up inside – and they quickly look away. My body feels tingly and my arms have completely disappeared now. I will the stranger's eyes to lock with mine once more and when they do, I give them a small smile, trying to reassure them that it was okay, that they didn't have to cry for someone as insignificant as me in this big world. _

_Slowly, I can't feel any part of my body anymore and for some reason, I was okay with it. I was at peace, I was not here dying, but I was floating with this stranger, in their onyx eyes that stared back at me. My eyesight begins to fade, and I can't see those mysterious black orbs anymore, but somehow I know I was going to meet up with them again… somewhere._

**888**

My eyelids fly open and I quickly sit up, only to feel a sharp pain stab through my head, tearing through my temples. My hands fly to where the sensation of my brain exploding was strongest, and I can practically feel the buzz zipping through my head. I grit my teeth and fist my hands into my hair, waiting for the pain to die down before opening my eyes I didn't realize I had shut, to darkness.

I try to glance around me, but it's so dark I can barely see a thing. I can feel the warm, damp dirt underneath me, though, and when I try to get up, restraints bite into the skin on my wrists to pull my back down onto my ass, causing me to wince at the feeling of blood trickling down to my fingertips. I glance down at my wrists, catching a small glint of light reflecting off of the thin, metal cuffs wrapped tightly around my scarlet wrists.

I furrow my eyebrows, _what happened?_ Images begin to surface in my mind, and I start to place together the bits and pieces as I remember what happened last. I slowly gulp as the realization hits me hard in the head that I was all alone in an unknown place, captured by unknown people, with no idea as to where Natsu is.

I would have to face what happens next by myself, and I am nowhere near, not even a hint of, an idea as to what happens after this. Would I be stuck in here? Would I be left here to die? To starve to death? To dehydrate? To just… die? Just like that? I'm gone forever?

A loud groan of a floor board sounds from above me and I avert my gaze to glance up at where a small light begins to trickle into the dark room, watching frozen to my spot as the sliver of light slowly gets larger and larger, until it gradually stops growing to create a perfect square in the ceiling that resembled a trap door.

A sinister cackle sounds from the opening, causing my muscles to tighten in fright as someone jumps down to stand in the same space as me, their profile kept hidden in the darkness. Yet even in this darkness I can still see their crazy red eyes boring into mine perfectly.

I gulp down the unease gathering in my throat before beginning to slowly scoot away from the person while in turn they take a step towards me. I observe them with alarms going off in my head and nerves, and a wide smile just spreads across their face at my actions, their sharp, shark-like teeth gleaming on display.

I continue to scoot away, fear slowly bubbling up in my chest with each stride taken towards me by the stranger. I feel my back press up against a moist, wet wall and my eyes widen, panic beginning to flood through me.

This person… they obviously weren't here for good purposes. They weren't sane – they weren't… _normal_. That look in their eyes… it is one of a monster. And something tells me it would've been in my better interests if I were left here to just starve to death.

I try to control my breathing as the person comes to stand right in front of me, their face slowly coming down to meet mine. I turn my face away from them in disgust as they take a deep breath, smelling me before their grubby fingers trace the artery on my neck. I shut my eyes tight and wrinkle my nose up in growing distaste and foreboding of their actions towards me.

I wanted to cry as their face got closer to mine, so close I could feel their knotted hair brush against my jaw, and I suddenly feel something sharp stab into my neck. A small whimper escapes my lips as the feeling of my own blood pouring down to pool in the crevice of my collarbone floods through me. The stranger simply giggles happily at my actions.

"Blondie~" They drawl out, before seizing my shoulders tightly.

I begin squirming around in their grasp, my insides coiling together tightly at their movements, causing them to tighten their hold on me, which only made my wriggling more intense. They growl out impatiently as their nails dig into my skin, jolting me forward before slamming me against the wall, which causes me to let out a pained gasp. My head throbs and my vision begins to fuzz as I feel them lean in closer to me.

"You don't know," the person whispers, "how long we haven't eaten for…"

I felt the urge to scream, to run away from them and get out of here, but I was paralyzed to the spot, and could feel my consciousness slowly pouring out of me like the blood oozing from the back of my head and neck.

I watch their finger come up to wipe a bit of the blood off of my neck before popping it into their mouth, which led them to moan in pleasure. They then smirk down at me, a malicious grin spread across their face as they eyes my open wound greedily.

"Thanks for the meal."

**888**

I was cold. So cold, I felt it in my bones with each shiver that ran through me, with each violent jolt of my muscles that tried to pry me away from the cold's grasp. It was inevitable though – I was going to be cold while I was in this state whether I liked it or not. I was sort of grateful for the cold though – it made me numb of the bruises and cuts that littered my weak body, along with the dried blood that caked me from head to toe with the scarlet residue left behind from _their _actions.

I felt exposed, my clothing being torn in places from their ravenous claws tearing at me. They were like animals – coming at me all at once with their crazy red eyes and famished expressions, and I felt like their cattle – something to be fed off of, not a person, not a human-being. Something that if were to misbehave, get punished… _harshly_.

They really were monsters.

I felt tired – so tired that my need to sleep was almost unbearable, yet I knew that if I allowed my eyelids to droop closed, they'd probably never open again with a nightmare that was all too familiar replaying itself over and over again behind my closed eyelids. I was most likely tired from blood loss anyways, considering a good amount was on me and the rest…

A shiver runs down my spine and it wasn't from the cold – I didn't even want to know where the rest of my blood was.

I would've been scared, but I already know how it goes, having gone through the agonizing process many times already, so instead I feel hopeless. I was trapped in here, have been for I don't know how long, and every time that door opens I feel a part of me die.

I was always expecting someone else to hop down to me, someone with onyx eyes, not someone with red ones. Someone with strong large wings, not someone with shark teeth. Someone with fire trailing behind them in their wake, not someone with my blood on their hands as they leave. Someone who was here to save me, not someone who was here to... _abuse_ me.

But it was never him.

A familiar creak sounds, followed by a sliver of light shining into the room. I feel a strangled whimper escape my throat as red eyes appear in the darkness, four pairs of the insane orbs to be exact, and I slowly feel my feet move without my consent, pushing my laying body away from them as my heels dig into the damp dirt. The shackles on my wrists jingle with each push away from them, but they just continue to creep forward.

A pair of the eyes suddenly appear right in front of my face and I let out a small cry of surprise. They cackle at me, their stare never wavering as they lean in closer to me, their sticky, dirty hands getting a firm hold on my shoulder and mouth as they maneuver me so my neck was left exposed. That seemed to be a popular spot with these monsters, though there were other places that they went when there was no more room left by my neck, which explains why exactly my clothes were in tatters.

I gulp and shut my eyes as they lean down, holding back tears as their tongue licks roughly over one of the scabbed bites, drawing blood yet again. I let out a sob into their hand as I feel their jaws dig into the raw, tender skin that was my neck and they began to suck at the wound, trying to get more of my blood to come out of my artery.

My tears continue to fill up in my eyes, but I don't let them spill, not wanting these beasts to see how vulnerable they made me, not wanting them to see this weak side of me in fear of them taking advantage of the ever-so-slowly growing panic arising inside of me.

I feel stinging come from my waist as claws dig into the soft skin there, before the horrifying sensation of me being stabbed runs through me, making my blood run cold as my heart stops for a moment in surprise, before beating wildly as one thought plagues my mind. _They are going into a frenzy._

I force my aching body to move around, kicking and swiping as far as I could reach with the restraints holding me back. I allow a scream to tear through my throat in an act of desperation, causing the claws on me to latch on, their nails digging into me as if threatening me to keep up with this uproar. The thing was, I didn't exactly care at the moment.

I screamed louder, forcing my lungs to not collapse as my strangled sounds go through the hand clamped on my mouth and bounce throughout the room. There is no doubt in my mind that my cries were reaching the people above me, and that's just what I wanted. Let them all come so they can just kill me already.

I can hear the pounding of footsteps from above me and I know it's more of these monsters coming to kill me, coming to shut me up.

Through my shut eyes I can see the light of the trap door suddenly appear again, faster this time with a swift moving shadow dancing across my eyelids. _This is it_, I think, but the weird thing is, I feel the opposite of what I was expecting.

The grasps on me loosen as those harvesting on me slowly get up, along with the hand that leaves my mouth and I force myself to shut up as I hear venomous hissing coming from around me, yet they were nothing compared to the roar that shook the ground underneath me.

A shrill shriek pierces the air, quickly followed by the splattering of something that automatically makes the room go still. I dare not to peek an eye open as the shuffling of footsteps nears me and they slowly come to a stop in front of me. I brace myself for what was to happen next, though I wasn't anticipating the sudden tugging at my bruised wrists as they rip the cuffs off of me.

I feel my breath catch in my throat and my body goes rigid, _what…?_

Strong, warm arms scoop me up off of the dirt into their embrace and there's no doubt in my mind as to who this was as I allow myself to relax against his chest, my head leaning against his shoulder as I slowly give my eyes permission to open, still a little scared that this was only another day dream. I spot his solemn onyx eyes gazing into mine though, and a small, weak smile breaks across my face. His face softens as he brings his forehead down to meet mine with his eyes never leaving mine – those eyes that were speaking apologies while his tight jaw spoke of the enraged fire burning in his dragon belly.

"Let's go home, Luce."

I could only offer a small smile as the tears I held back not that long ago begin to stream down my face, and sobs tear through me as I allow myself to completely smooth out my ragged tensions, knowing I'd be safe as long as he was there. As long as my dragon was with me.

**888**

I had been in the pure white infirmary for less than five minutes before I couldn't stand being waited on for every second of that short period of time. Mira was literally on top of me, pestering me with questions I didn't know how to answer besides the ones about whether or not I felt pain here or there. Even though she was talking a bit too much out of panic, she was quick to tend to my needs, giving me a large blanket that covered my entire, shivering body and helping me get to the cleansing area where she was to help me bathe.

"Now, do you have any trouble walking?" Mira questions, taking note to the way I swayed from side to side on my feet, "Do you want me to get one of the guys to carry you the rest of the way?"

I shake my head slowly, trying not to worsen my light headache as I try to tune Mira out. I don't want to be mean to the kind barmaid, but I haven't even experienced the brunt of Mira's nagging yet and I feel guilty to say I was about to snap if she didn't stop. I wasn't used to this – it was still too overwhelming to have someone caring for me and I'm positive my worn out body and mind couldn't take much longer of this restless torture, my one wish to just sleep still has not been fulfilled yet.

Mira stops me at the doorway of the cleansing area, where a tub sat in the middle of the room along with a shower that was off to the side, walking in before me to turn the water of the tub on so it would begin to fill, and it's in which during this time I take my chance to bolt.

I make a break for it, limping as fast as I can away from the showers and leaving Mira behind. I probably look very pitiable at the moment, but it was too much attention for me and too much fatigue that I continue on with my hobble-like dash, opening a few of my wounds during the process of my outburst.

I pass by the room next door, where I spot a shirtless Natsu getting his few gashes stitched up by one of the other villagers. His toned muscles jolted with each time the needle went to pierce his skin back together, and for a moment I feel myself slow down a little, entranced by his ripped torso that gleamed with antiseptics rubbed over his grimy abs, but I quickly pull myself out of it when he glances towards me limping away. I only catch his onyx eyes spark in realization before I'm out of there, running at my top speed of a dying turtle down the hall.

A few moments later, I hear Mira call for me with traces of annoyance obvious in her singsong voice, "Lucy! Where are you going?!" she calls, "Wait! Come back here!" Mira groans in frustration while a low, irritated growl and footsteps follow, "Natsu! Get her! She needs a bath!"

I hear the footsteps behind me draw nearer and continue to limp on until Natsu unexpectedly appears in front of me. I crash into his warm chest on accident and try to back away, causing him to wrap his arms around my torso, "No way, Jose."

I look up at him with a tired pout painted across my face, "What?" I breathe.

"Listen to Mira," he says, stealing a glance at Mira who was probably fuming or fan girling at the moment (I swear I can hear her whisper, "my OTP" or something like that) before his eyes meet mine, "she knows what she's doing."

I sigh, the exhaustion evident in my voice as I mumble, "I just want to sleep, though."

Natsu smirks and places his hand on my cheek, "I know you do, but you can't go back to my place until Mira gives the okay-"

"I GIVE THE OKAY!" Natsu and I look at Mira – who looked as if she were about to squeak out of hyperventilation – with our mouths gaping.

"YOU SAID 'YES' JUST LIKE THAT?!" We exclaim together.

Mira simply nods, hearts in her eyes, "Yup! Now go on, you two," Mira begins to gesture for us to leave, "Shoo! Shoo! You love birds!"

I look incredulously at Mira before gazing dumb founded at Natsu, "Is she on drugs…?"

Natsu can only shrug, "I don't think so…"

Natsu then lets go of me and we begin to walk away from the barmaid, who was yelling to me that I should clean my wounds and such before she starts singing about how 'love was in the air'.

I simply roll my eyes as we walk into the dark village, where everyone was asleep under the pale moonlight. Glancing at Natsu, I take in the bandages covering his torso with curiosity as to how he got his wounds, wondering if he was in a similar situation to mine not that long ago. I frown at the thought of Natsu being held like that; it didn't seem likely he was though, since there were no bite marks, only long gashes, so it makes me wonder what happened to him and how he found me.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts though, when suddenly my knees give out and I crash into Natsu's embrace a moment before I was to hit the ground. Wordlessly, Natsu swiftly picks me up in his arms, cradling me to his chest as we continue to walk towards his house. I can feel a small blush coat my face as I stare up at the star-filled sky with relief flooding through me, knowing I might've never seen the sky again if it weren't for Natsu. My gaze shifts so I was staring at said man.

His salmon bangs that were usually fluffed up were falling into his dark eyes that were set dead ahead of him, and his set jaw was outlined by the faint trace of scarlet scales. I push down the temptation to stroke the scales as we walk up the stairs to the front door, entering his house.

Once inside, Natsu asks if I was able to walk, and I nod as he moves to place me back down. My bare feet shake a little as my wobbly legs begin to take steps forward, and I hold the blanket Mira gave me closer to myself as I make my way to the stairs, where my entire body begins to shake. I trip on one of the steps and my arm flings out to grasp the railing to keep me from hurting myself more. Natsu is there in an instant and my eyes meet his worried ones. I offer him a small, reassuring smile as I get back up and continue up the stairs.

I get to the top and hobble towards the bathroom where I semi-shut the door behind me, leaving a crack open just in case if I fell. I let the blanket fall to my feet as I shimmy out of my torn, dirty clothing, leaving it all in the hamper before I step into the shower and let the hot water run down my sore body.

I scrub the blood and dirt out of my hair first before gently washing the rest of my body, where I find bruises surrounding the gashes on my body. It was almost impossible for me to wash out the angry, red bite marks that littered my wrists, thighs, and hips though, since they not only bled immensely compared to my other wounds, but hurt like Hell every time I tried to clean them. I let out a few whimpers each time I had to go near them, but there was one place I had to bite back screams as I tried to cleanse it.

My neck was that place. It was a whole other story compared to my other bite marks as I couldn't even let the hot water touch it from the pain. I could feel tears stinging my eyes during the entire duration of my shower.

When I turn the shower head off, I do it with pleasure as not only was my grimy body was now clean and ready for me to tend to it, but the worst part was finally over now. I step out of the shower and grab one of the fluffy, red towels off of the rack before wrapping it around me, and walking towards the sink where we keep the medical kit. I lean down to grab the small, red box and when I stand back up, I gasp at my appearance, having not seen a mirror until now.

The bite mark on my neck was an angry red, and like all the other wounds on my body, puffy. There was a long gash trailing along the right side of my collar bone and it was surrounded by a dark purple bruise that when I brought my hand up to touch it, caused a pained moan to escape me.

My eyes trailed down to my arms that were covered with bruises and scratches, and when my eyes find my wrists, I understand why they were sore. Two rings surrounded both of my wrists from the handcuffs and they lay just underneath the just as red bite marks littering my small wrists.

I bring my eyes back up to my chest where I let the towel travel a bit down my breasts so I can get a better look at the bruises covering them along with the two bite marks. I shakily bring a bruised hand up to touch one of the bite marks and a sob escapes my mouth as I quickly tear my hand away. _Where else did they go…?_

I swallow down a fearful whimper as I shift my towel to get a good look my thighs, praying I didn't see anything around my 'you-know where'. Thankfully, the bite marks and bruises stopped at my mid-thigh and I let out a shaky breath before letting my towel fall back down as my eyes trail over my body, and that's when I see him.

In the doorway of the bathroom stood Natsu.

**Author's Note:**

**Welp, that was a good chapter. At least I thought it was, since I spent a ton of time on it and my skills were better this time around. **

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed that, and please favorite, follow or review (I do in fact accept constructional criticism ; )). If you've already done any of those things, then you're an ~AMAZING POTATOE~! Sorry, I just love me some potatoes.**

**QUESTION (PLEASE ANSWER BY COMMENTING OR PMING):**

**Should I start another story?! **

**I have about fifty ideas I either a) haven't written or b) haven't posted, so if enough of you guys say 'YES MUTHA BLEEPER DO IT' I shall have a poll on my profile about what genre it should be! **

**Peace!**

**-idevourbooks**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

**IT'S.**

**FINALLY.**

**DONE.**

**THIS CHAPTER TOOK ME FIVE REWRITES - ALL WITH DIFFERENT PLOT LINES - TO FINALLY PRESENT TO YOU NOW. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW RELIEVED I AM (so relieved everything before this was in caps because I forgot I could take off caps lock - tHAT'S HOW MUSHY MY BRAIN'S BECOME, GUYS)! **

**I want to apologize for my irregular way of updating, I know some of you are excited for more while others are becoming antsy (I do read the reviews and to everyone who does review, I give you all a big hug with an even bigger 'thank you'! I read every one and each pushes me even harder to write)! I know I have no excuse for my actions, but hOLY CRAP. I CAN NOW BREATH. SOMEONE GET THE LAWD DOWN HERE PRONTO 'CAUSE I NEED TO SAY THANK YOU.**

**Anyways, this chapter is more to show the aftereffects of the previous chapters and to (hint hint) present an idea that WILL be important for the future ~! Please forgive me and please...  
**

**ENJOY!**

**Chapter Ten**

My breath catches in my throat as I stare at the boy reflected in the mirror, frozen to my spot as no muscle in my body dares to move. It feels as if time has stopped, and right now the only thing that could be processed by my thoughts speeding at a mile per second was the fact that there was only me and Natsu in the room, with all of my wounds freshly out on display for him to see.

My gaze swiftly flutters over Natsu, taking in his unruly salmon locks and the pair of black sweatpants he had changed into, my cheeks slightly heating at the sight of his bare, scarred chest that was covered in stark white bandages for his own wounds, before I flicker my eyes back up to his ashen face where the faint outline of scarlet scales was perceptible around his prominent cheekbones and eyes.

Natsu's usual kind, sable eyes were hard with an emotion I've never seen him portray before as they flicker across the gory wounds that marred my shoulders and upper-back. His jaw clenches tightly as his stare stays trained on one of the deeper gashes that trailed along my left shoulder blade, while a small fire that held the potential to become untamed slowly begins to dance within his ebony eyes as he takes in the rest of the fleshy tears and puffy bite marks that scarred the parts of my body visible to him. His eyes continue their inspection down to my legs, where a mixture of fury and horror is written across his face as his ambiguous eyes scrutinize the crimson bite marks that lay just beneath my bottom – only half of some of the painful wounds that were inflicted higher up on my legs were actually visible to him thanks to the towel wrapped around my torso.

He tears his eyes away from my backside as he nears the brink of losing control on his reigned emotions, only to meet my shocked stare through the reflection of the mirror. His eyes then seemingly soften as my brown orbs bore into his black ones, revealing my growing concern for the dragon stiff in the doorway since I never wanted him to see me like this – to see me under the florescent lights that revealed every wound those monsters had inflicted on me for I could practically predict what he'd think. He'd feel as if it were his fault, though in reality, it wasn't.

Natsu was different like that. He truly cared for me even when he barely knew me and believed that every little thing that happened to me was his doing – which was absolutely impossible since the last time I checked, I was in charge of my body, not him. But that's not to say that everyone else here wasn't concerned with one another's well-being. All of the Fairy Tail villagers were compassionate towards one another, always considerate of everyone else's feelings, and yet the way Natsu portrayed his kindness towards me… it was almost as if his concern was taken to another level of protection that I still couldn't fully comprehend.

I hear Natsu take a step forward and my eyes fly up to meet his, but his face is covered by his bangs so when he comes to stand right behind me, so close I can feel the heat radiating off of him, I still can't tell what he's feeling, even when he rests his chin on my shoulder, wrapping his arms possessively around me.

"I'm so sorry, Luce…" He mutters, his hot breath grazing the sensitive skin of my collar bone, "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you…"

I gulp thickly at his words, debating on how I should respond to that plea since I knew that no matter what I said to convince him that it wasn't his fault, his stubborn personality would prevent him from believing as easily as I would've liked him to and he'd merely feel guiltier. I feel his arms tighten around me as he shifts slightly to place a soft kiss on the bite wound marring my neck, a remorseful, genuine gesture that reflected Natsu's yearning of atonement from me for something that he wasn't even at fault for.

My mouth won't move to form words properly, so my actions step in for my motionless mouth as my hands wander up to his clenched, warm ones locked around my waist. I place my tinier, paler hands atop of his and feel his hands instantly loosen their knuckle-whitening fists to allow my slim fingers to sneak in between his larger ones as he then grasps them firmly before nuzzling his nose into my neck, taking a large whiff of me, which causes a faint smile to grace my lips at the sincere – yet odd – gesture he seemed to be fond of doing as of lately.

My eyelids fall closed as I turn my head to the left to mumble softly into his salmon locks, "It's not your fault," I feel him tense at my words and begin to rub comforting circles into his thumb with my own, "it will never be your fault – trust me, nothing bad that happens to me is your fault, Natsu."

I feel him straighten, feel him begin to pull away, knowing that he didn't believe me, knowing that his guilt wouldn't be shaken by just a few comforting words, and I tighten my grasp on his hands, holding him to me as I crane my head to gaze up at his stony face. My eyes wander his features, taking in his tawny, clenched jaw and skimming over his chapped lips pulled into a thin line before averting my sight to his soft, salmon bangs that fell into his ebony eyes that kept their stare trained on the mirror before him. I watch as they move feverishly; trying to take in everything he was seeing, while knowing that he was looking at me in the mirror. More specifically speaking, he was studying my gashes and bruises and injuries and scars that littered my front, the part he hadn't seen just yet and the part that was the most horrific, and he was blaming his self for it.

His eyes trailed the long, puffy gash on my collarbone, peeked at the deep, scarlet bites on my breasts before quickly moving his attention to my battered arms as I watch his nostrils flare with anger, a puff of smoke floating from them as he exhales and the ruby scales appearing on his cheekbones grow in number with each second he spends examining my front. He gulps prior to closing his eyes that were becoming flecked with green and whose pupils were mere slits, taking a deep breath that I am sure was to calm him as he reopens his eyes that were back to their original color of onyx.

Natsu unclenches his jaw and licks his lips, still not daring to gaze down at my eyes as he mumbles monotone, "Let go of me, Luce."

I feel my brows furrow, not wanting to comply with his request since I knew he would just walk out. I know he needed a moment to absorb everything he just saw, but I couldn't just let him leave. I couldn't let him go without him understanding that none of it was his fault. That he did nothing but save me, and if he left with guilt in his heart… I'm almost positive it would eat at him from the inside out, and I didn't want him to know that pain all because of me.

I tighten my grip on his hands, "No," I whisper, feeling a bit of sorrow fill me for Natsu as I say it since I knew he only meant well, and yet here I was, denying him the one thing he truly needed right now. To be alone.

Natsu takes a shaky breath, still avoiding my gaze as he pleads, "Luce, _please_. Just let go of my hands – "

"No," I cut him off, my voice raising a bit as I do, "I can't do that."

He cocks his head to finally meet my stare, his brows knitted while his eyes reflect his exasperation, "What do you mean, 'you can't do that'?"

I swallow the anxiety bubbling up in my throat as I open my mouth, my voice dropping back down to a whisper as I answer, "I mean I can't let you go – I can't let you leave. Not yet."

Natsu's eyes penetrate mine, searching my chocolate orbs for something I can't place my finger on exactly. Surrender possibly, or even submission, but he soon stops as he shakes his head at me, seeming disappointed with me for some reason, "But Luce," he starts, his once strong and demanding voice now matching my soft whisper, "it's not your decision to make."

He then rips his clawed hands forcefully out of my own, and I feel something within me tear as well as I watch him stride out of the room, his shoulders hunched with hurt as I hear him clomp down the stairs to the couch where I hear a sleep-disturbed Happy groggily question him of his whereabouts, only to get no reply from the dragon. I almost feel bad for the peculiar colored feline.

I swallow thickly as I scrutinize the cuts Natsu accidentally left on my hands when he ripped his own clawed ones out of my grasp, my eyes following the flow of blood as it trickles off of my palm and into the porcelain sink below. I feel tears fill my eyes as I think of the hurt man, the one who I should've held onto tighter and not let walk out of the bathroom. The one who I wished yelled at me for not complying with his wishes instead of acting calm, a façade concealing his emotions. The one who I shouldn't have let go of when he needed me the most to show him that none of it was his fault.

But I let go.

**888**

_Red._

_A deep, dark, horrific scarlet._

_It douses the ceiling._

_As well as the walls that appear to cave in on me._

_Everything is red._

_In the corner of my groggy mind I think I hear a deep voice screaming my name… screaming for me to get up… telling me that everything was going to be okay through desperate sobs._

_I feel their warm, muscular pair of arms around me, cradling my head in their lap. Their large, rough hands were pressing down hard on my chest, but not hard enough to hurt me. I look up at the person, making out his cotton candy locks that were tousled on top of his head and his worried, onyx eyes staring back at me. _

_**Natsu…**_

_I feel myself get lost in his black pools for eyes, feeling like I was floating through space, with nothing tying me down to the real world. A sharp pain suddenly stabs through me, though, and I feel my chest begin to throb._

_I tear my gaze away from Natsu's captivating eyes and peer down at myself to finally see what he was fussing over. His hands were in the way, but I manage to gently push them off of my abundant chest with my little energy that was dwindling by the second. I feel a gasp escape me lips as I stare in fear. _

_My pale, blue tank top was stained with scarlet for my chest had a deep wound blossoming, probably puncturing my dying heart. I touch it with shaky hands and feel the warm red liquid stick to my pale fingers. I then avert my gaze to Natsu, who was whispering my name, his tears falling onto my face like raindrops plopping on dying flowers._

_My ears begin to ring until I gradually can't hear even the rustle of my own blonde hair slowly being pushed away from my pale, tear stained face by his warm, calloused hands, but somehow I know he was sobbing for me to stay conscious, his onyx eyes telling me everything I needed to know. _

_With the little energy I still have in me, I raise my arm – that at the moment was as heavy as lead – and reach for Natsu's sorrowful, battered face. I look at where I thought my hand was at, but was shocked to find nothing there. _

_My fingers were completely gone and it automatically clicks in my head the fact that I was slowly disappearing. Natsu also notices and I can tell he's beginning to become more frantic. He begins to look around wildly, his black orbs huge with fear and desperation._

_I surprise even myself as I part my chapped, bleeding lips to say a simple phrase that had more meaning than anything else I could have said in that moment. _

"_It's okay."_

_Those two words held everything, my worries, my happiness, my memories, and my feelings towards the boy in front of me... whom for some reason I can't remember his name any more. Love, familiarity, joy, worry, and most of all, my hope that we would meet again soon, even though I can't remember who this stranger was, who for some reason I felt so connected to. _

_I feel his arms tighten around me as his gaze locks onto my chocolate eyes. My lifeless ones saunter for a bit, taking in the fact that I was dying and disappearing into thin air, before I begin to lose circulation in my legs._

_My eyes whip back to the black orbs – shiny due to the tears still welling up inside – and he quickly looks away. My body feels tingly and my arms have completely disappeared now. I will the stranger's eyes to lock with mine once more and when they do, I give him a small smile, trying to reassure him that it was okay, that he didn't have to cry for someone as insignificant as me in this big world. _

_Slowly, I can't feel any part of my body anymore and for some reason, I was okay with it. I was at peace, I was not here dying, but I was floating with this stranger, in his onyx eyes that stared back at me. _

_From the corner of my eye, though, I saw something that destroys all signs acceptance and made my blood run cold._

_A figure._

_A shadowy silhouette whose aura was the only thing visible to me, and the darkness pooling off of them spoke for their intentions on dangerous levels. The figure moved with the fluidity of a hunter – of a predator – and they were stalking right towards us. _

_My eyes widen as they follow the intruder's every move, even as they come to stand behind the stranger in front of me, and I feel the need to warn him, to tell him to run bubble up within me, but the words catch in my throat, and I know it's too late. _

_I helplessly watch as the stranger above me suddenly jerks forward, ebony eyes wide as his grip on me slackens and a strangled cry escapes him until he chokes on his own blood that splatters on the ground. He shakily maneuvers his head so he was face to face with me, and I stare with terrified tears welling up in my eyes as he attempts to flash me a floppy grin, only to have blood dribble down his chapped lips to his chin, where a droplet of the thick, scarlet liquid falls, plopping onto my cheek like his tears that fell not so long ago._

_I hear my own whimper sound from my lips as his eyes turn glassy, those beautiful, dark eyes that once captivated me due to their hope, now tore me as they told me that lively dream was now dead. He falls forward, crashing into my chest and I feel a sob rack what was left of my body._

"_NAT-_

-SU!"

I jolt up right on the bed, feeling a million little pins pricking my body signaling that a majority of my wounds reopened from the action, and grasp tightly onto the crimson sheets underneath me, still shaking from the cries that had followed me out of my nightmare and into reality. I shut my eyes tight and let out an airy gasp, trying to calm myself as I begin to mentally repeat over and over again to myself that it was just a dream – all of it was just a dream – and yet it felt so real. It felt like a memory, and yet I know that was impossible, so I take it as a warning for the future instead, and I didn't like it.

My ears pick up on a sudden pounding on the stairs and a loud crash into the wall across the hall, before the bedroom door is flung wide open, light pooling into the dark room. I turn my head to peek through tear-blurry eyes at a heaving dragon leaning against the cherry wood doorframe, whose face was hidden by the shadows, but whose messy, candy-cotton locks were on perfect display.

I swallow a cry as my brows knit sadly, softly whispering through trembling lips, "Natsu…"

The boy in the doorway sighs deeply, stalking across the room to the bed that he climbs onto and takes no time in pulling me into his arms, pressing me against his warm, bare chest. Laying my forehead on his sturdy shoulder, I press my lips tightly together in an attempt to prevent the sob from leaving me, but it only ends up causing a pained moan to take its place as the alternative. I feel Natsu pull me onto his lap as he strengthens his hold on me, nestling his face into the crook of my neck as he slowly rubs comforting circles on my back.

"Luce," He begins, his deep voice soft as he mumbles his nickname for me into my ear, and I become entranced with how his words caused his chest to vibrate faintly underneath my fingertips, "what happened?"

I close my eyes, tears slipping out of the closed lids to land on his black sweatpants, and gulp thickly, expecting this question from him with an array of appropriate answers already lined up for me to use, and yet when it was time to submit my reply, none of them seemed fit compared to the truth. I sigh, sliding my arms around his neck as I lift my head so my chin rested on his shoulder instead, and whisper with a crackling voice, "N-Nothing, really, I just… I…" I pause, feeling Natsu raise his brow at me as he awaits my reason and sigh, muttering, "It was just a bad dream, is all." _A bad dream where you die._

I feel his warm lips purse together against my throbbing artery as my tears slip from my face onto his bare shoulder, and when he lets out a hot sigh, my skin flushes underneath the contact. He nuzzles me comfortingly, the action seeming more animal than human, and frowns slightly, muttering into my neck a question that he and I both knew the answer to before it even touches the air, "Do you want to talk about it?"

I suck in a breath, the simple question triggering the beginnings of a replay within my mind of the nightmare without my consent and I fight back the urge to whimper as I try savagely to stop the images from surfacing as they creep closer and closer to the dreaded end. _Stop!_ I mentally scream at myself, _stop, stop, stop!_ I tighten my shut eyes as if to stop the flow of water from welling up within them, though it only causes more salty droplets to streak down my face and burn my cheeks until they're even rawer.

I can see the shadowy figure dancing across my mind now. _Stop! _They only draw nearer. _Please!_ I bottle up the sob from escaping my lips, but instead it racks my body, leaving me a miserable mess that Natsu pulls closer to him, and that the crying Natsu in my mind stares down at with eyes as wide as saucers as the heart in his chest is being grasped in the hands of the shadowy figure. A bloody smile spreads across his lips and I feel my heart clench as I ball my hands into fists on Natsu's shoulders in an attempt to keep them from shaking.

Dream-Natsu's blood splatters effortlessly on my face. _Please…_ Dream-Natsu crashes limply into my chest, his last breath fanning against my collar bone. _Stop…_

Dream-me screams, 'Natsu,' while I whisper softly into his ear, "No."

Natsu nods in understanding and thankfully doesn't question any further, instead rocking me back and forth as I continue to silently weep for the man in front of me, holding onto him as if he were the last thing left in the universe. We don't speak, only take pleasure in each other's presence as I knew that he was still unsure of himself, that he was still hurting, and the tears leaking from my eyes were enough to show that I was in pain. With a sniffle, I readjust my head on his shoulder so my left temple lay against his chest and wrap my arms around his torso while he rests his chin atop of my head, tightening his own hold comfortingly around me as I continue to sob.

He rubs circles along my arched, shivering spine, and I take a deep breath through my nose, inhaling his spicy, smoky scent that for some reason reminded me of home – of a cozy fire burning in the hearth, of cinnamon wafting through the air while Wendy bounces happily around the stubby pine tree that stood in the corner of the living room. I sigh at the thought of my sister, my heart clenching painfully as I hesitantly pushing any thoughts of her to the side before I could cry anymore.

My tears eventually cease their efforts to fall, and I peel open my heavy eyelids to gaze up at Natsu, who in turn stares down at me with those onyx eyes glistening with life, unlike the ones glazed over with death I still saw in the back of my mind. With a gulp, a shaky smile spreads across my face and I open my mouth to a utter, 'thank you,' which sounds more like a string of sleepy, tearful croaks than actual words of gratitude. The corner of his mouth lifts and I knew he understood, allowing myself to give into the fatigue that washed over me as I lay my head back down on his chest, my eyes sliding closed as I allow the caresses of sleep to sweep me up once again in its vast ocean, knowing that this time I'd be safe from the dream as long as my dragon was there.


End file.
